Rescue
by Alicia Vale
Summary: Princess Bubblegum and Jake have been kidnapped by the mysterious being known as the Prince of Games, and it's up to Finn and Marceline to save them. They'll face dangers unlike anything they've ever seen, ghosts from Finn's long-forgotten past, and emotions that will take their friendship to the breaking point. Can they pull through?
1. Taken

**Hello, Alicia here! Of course you know that. Welcome to my new story! Actually, it's the first in a trilogy! Just thought I'd let you know.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Adventure Time. I do own Mike the centaur, though! He's all mine. So are Azalea and John. No stealies.**

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Taken **_

* * *

"So what's this, way over here in the west?" Finn asked, pointing to an island in the far left area on the map of Ooo. Marceline smiled.

"I was hoping you'd ask," she said smugly, as though she'd absolutely known he was going to.

They were sprawled out on the floor of the treehouse, lying side by side with a carefully handmade map in front of them (everyone knew that Marceline possessed the most detailed map of Ooo, having travelled it more than anyone else). It was the middle of the night, and Jake was asleep up…ladder, was probably the proper term. Finn himself was getting tired, but was way too intrigued by what Marceline was showing him to care. The vampire herself didn't appear tired at all.

"That, Finn," she turned to him, and he could smell sweet strawberries on her breath; she must have been snacking on the shades of red from them, "is the Ruined Kingdom," her eyes sparkled with knowledge she wanted to share. There was silence for a few moments as the hero waited for her to continue, but she just watched him like a predator waiting for the right moment to pounce.

"Well? What is it?" Finn pressed impatiently. Marceline grinned, as though he had run right into her proverbial (and rather literal) claws.

"It's an old human city, from before the war. Nobody's been there in years; I myself only scoped it out from above...and it was freakin' impossible to get to. It's said to be haunted...and not just by ghosts," she took a deep breath. "Legend has it that if you enter the city, whatever is dearest to you will be stolen away. It's true, I know it is.

"Many years ago, there was a centaur named Mike. Mike wanted to be remembered for something, to do something no centaur had before! So he set off, through the Forest of Helplessness, over the Desert of Lost Souls, into the Caverns of Eternal Darkness, and across the Endless Ocean until he reached the Isle of Ruins. Walking into the Ruined Kingdom was like stepping into the past; rubble of old human buildings was everywhere. Stone and brick, metal and rubber…and fire. Oh there was fire, fire in the sky, Finn. Fire that fell down right in front of the centaur and scarred him terribly. So Mike continued until he reached the heart of the city, where he encountered a figure shrouded in shadows. The figure congratulated him on reaching the heart of the kingdom, and granted him one wish, Mike wished for his scars to be gone. 'Your wish is my command,' said the figure with a terribly grim chuckle. And it waved its hand, sending Mike home in a swirl of black magic. But it wasn't his home, not really; his family and his house were gone. And he never saw them again.

"I didn't want _my_ house to vanish, thanks, so I stayed above. Anyhow, there's really something powerful lurking in there. I could smell it," Marceline finished. Finn sat in silence for a few short moments.

"We should totally go check it out sometime!" he assumed that it was some sort of epic monster she had smelled, and that the centaur had been a made-up story. Really, what centaur would be named Mike? Marceline bit her lip.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" she asked in a sternly disbelieving tone.

"'Course I did! But I think it's a load of supernatural patooie!" Finn exclaimed the first thing that came to mind.

"Patooie?" Marceline raised an eyebrow and he blushed. "In any case, would you want Jake and Bubblegum kidnapped in the dead of night?" there was silence as they both realized that it was the dead of night. "Not this dead of night. Some other dead of night," the vampire clarified. Finn chuckled, and she blushed a bit. "What? It's not funny!" he just chuckled harder...until his stomach embarrassed him by growling loudly. Marceline burst out laughing.

"Guess I should get a snack," Finn muttered, standing and taking a couple steps towards the kitchen

"Aw come on, don't be like that," she floated after him, hovering in front of him and sticking out her tongue.

"It's getting late, Marcie. You should head home," in response, she used her vampire powers to move the sign, revealing an M. "Or you could stay here," she grinned.

"Great!" she exclaimed happily.

"But you're taking the couch," she pouted. "Marcie. You float," he pointed out.

"Oh yeah..." she murmured in realization.

"Night," he headed for the ladder.

"What about your snack?" she called.

"It's almost morning anyhow!" was his reply as he tucked himself into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight Finn!" but he was too tired to answer.

* * *

_"WAAAAAAH!" baby Finn was crying, kicking around in his mother's arms. He didn't understand what was going on! He had just been snug and safe in his bed, and now his mother was running with him through this strange forest. Finn's sky blue baby blanket was still wrapped around him, though, providing some comfort to the child._

_"Sh, sh," his very human mother gently bounced him up and down, and he started to giggle. She smiled warmly, gently. He loved her smile; it was like his own personal ray of sunshine. He reached up with his hands, trying to catch the love beaming from his mother's eyes in tiny fists. _

_"Azalea!" called Finn's father. She turned, and he caught a glimpse of the man; blonde hair, blue eyes. Just like Finn himself. He had a sword in his hands. "It's getting closer!"_

_"It's not far," Azalea replied tiredly, her blue eyes exhausted and her blonde hair muddy. Her husband nodded. _

_"You go ahead," he said authoritatively. _

_"John..." she began_

_"I'll hold it off for as long as I can. Go!" Azalea hesitated, then started to run, her baby bumping up and down uncomfortably._

_Finn started to cry again. _

_"Sh, sh," she whispered, beginning to sing. "Hush little baby, don't say a word. Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird...and if that mockingbird don't sing, momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring..." Finn started to giggle, and Azalea set him down inside a small cave. "You'll be safe in here, baby. He won't get to you," she planted a kiss on each cheek and the top of his head. "Oh! Almost forgot," she pulled a hat from her pocket and pulled it over his head. "It's expandable. A little big, but it'll fit for just that much longer. I love you, my baby bear," she gave him one last smile. _

_Then she was running back towards his father, and he was abandoned. _

_Tears spilled down his chubby cheeks, and he crawled out of the cave, leaving his blanket behind. The baby human crawled for what seemed like an eternity to him, but he lost track of where he thought Azalea might be. Beginning to wail again, he curled up under a bush, remembering his mother's song. He blubbered something vaguely similar in rhythm to himself, his tears coming faster. Where was his mother? Was she playing with him? She always came back when he cried. Why wasn't she back? Why didn't she love him anymore? Finn squeezed his eyes shut and tried to go to sleep, letting the melody of his mother's song play over in his head. The last thing he heard was a woman's shriek._

_And he never saw his parents again._

* * *

Finn sat up with a start. The dream had felt so real...

"Yo, Finn, wake up buddy!" Jake pounced on his bed. Finn squinted at the sunlight.

_Sunlight. Why does that feel wrong…?_

"Marceline!" he gasped, trying to jump out of bed and falling flat on his face—with heroic grace and poise, of course.

"Relax bro, she's fine. Left a while ago, she told me to tell you she said bye. Or maybe it was I told her to tell you to...no no no, she said..." while Jake confused himself, Finn clambered out of his sleeping bag and began making his way to the ladder. "Hey, I made you breakfast!"

"Thanks man," Finn said gratefully as he climbed down. There was a heaping pile of waffles on the couch, so Finn sat down and started eating. Jake joined him a moment later with a stack twice the size of Finn's. The dog dug in with his face. "That's gross."

"Hey, don't knock it 'till you try it!" Jake raised his face from the slop to say, bits of waffle dripping from his jowls. Finn made a disgusted face and resumed his normal eating. The waffles were gone in no time.

"I'm gonna go visit Peebles," he said, getting up.

"Later dude!"

* * *

The Candy Kingdom was absolute chaos.

Candy people were running amuck, screaming and crying and exploding and junk.

"Mr. Cupcake!" Finn stopped him. "What's going on?"

"Oh Finn! It was terrible!" that was all he said before he kept running. Finn drew his sword and sprinted to the castle.

"Princess Bubblegum!" he burst into her lab to see a crying Peppermint Butler. "What the math? Why are you so upset?"

"Oh Finn!" Peppermint Butler sobbed. "It was the most horrid thing! A huge dark cloud swooped low over the land, covering the Candy Kingdom in darkness! Then these...these glowing skeletal ghosts appeared and began to walk among us, moaning and groaning. Oh it was terrifying! They had bloody weapons and…and…"

"Peppermint Butler!" Finn shouted, shaking him. "What happened to her?" Peppermint Butler cried harder.

"They carried her away, Finn! They took Princess Bubblegum!"

* * *

"Jake! Jake!" Finn shouted, looking around the treehouse. It was abandoned, with no sound of anything stirring. "Come on, man. If this is a prank, it's not funny! JAKE!"

"H-he is n-not here, F-Finn," BMO stammered, crawling out from beneath the couch.

"What do you mean?"

"He means, Jake was taken," Marceline's voice said from behind him. The vampire, Finn saw as he turned around, was leaning against the wall, so high up that her head was almost touching the ceiling. She floated down until her boots made contact with the floor and walked over to Finn. The _click_ _click click_ of her footsteps made her approach that much more ominous. "Taken by the same force that took Bonnibel."

"How do you know?" Finn barked.

"Because I was there. I saw Bubbles get taken and flew back here to warn Jake, but it was too late," Marceline's excuse for knowing seemed genuine.

"What force?" Finn asked angrily. Marceline smirked.

"What force, Finn? Why the very force that haunts the Ruined Kingdom. The very force that wiped out the last shreds of humanity. The very force that failed to kill you when you were just a baby," she smirked, her face too close to his. A blaze of righteous fury ignited in the hero. This…this monster had likely killed his parents! His ancestors! His very foundations! The creature had to be destroyed!

"Who?" he snarled. "Tell me who!" it was a command that couldn't be ignored, a command that bore the threat of mortal injury.

"I thought you might be curious," the vampire gave him an evil smirk that only infuriated the hero and walked away. How could she find anything about this situation amusing? How could she just…just walk away after something like that? Didn't she know the emotional impact her words were having on Finn? She bent over for something hidden in shadow, and Finn was momentarily confused. What was she doing? This was urgent! He needed to pack! He needed to go; now! Then she turned back around and threw a bag at him. "I packed your stuff for you; cram it in your pack" she told him. Finn took off his backpack and shoved the bag into its depths (it was actually empty today). "We're heading for the Ruined Kingdom," the vampire continued. "It's time for someone to face the Prince of Games."


	2. Of The Deep

**Hey guys! Oh yeah and I forgot to put this in the summary (I'm too lazy to change it), but this is pure, undiluted Finnceline coming your way. Of course if you know me you'd probably guessed...**

**Zanegar: Hm…never really thought about that…**

**Kosmic: I'm a chick yeah, but I really don't care what you call me. I'm not the kind of girl who jumps at your throat for being called "man" or "dude" or whatever. I feel a rant coming on so I'm just gonna shut up. But yeah, thanks for the review! **

**He23t: And (hopefully) it only gets better!**

**Guest: Aw thanks!**

**DH88: Careful what you wish for...**

**Shadown478: Ah, you must remember that it was very late. Have you ever stayed up until 3 AM? If you have, you know that at that point, you can literally say "It's a wall" and laugh your head off.**

**Neverthrive: Yeah I can't see Marceline as "damsel in distress," mostly because she would probably rip the one distressing her limb from limb before anyone could save her. That's actually how I came up with this; I toyed with the idea of Finn having to rescue Marceline, then realized that she would never actually NEED rescuing. Then I thought "Hm. Marceline and Finn adventuring together alone...but why...?" and then BAM! This hit me like a fireball, and I literally wrote the whole thing.**

**The Forgotten Hero: Oh I will continue to post this. Even if the rest of Earth gets destroyed, I will still be sitting at my computer uploading chapters of this story. Believe it. And I know it was rushed, but when I tried to go back and change it, it was like I'd carved something into stone; rigid and unyielding, only allowing me the finishing touches of editing. From now on, though, it goes a little slower. I might even find a way to squeeze a couple more chapters in (probably not though)! And thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Adventure Time.**

**Also, I'll try to update this one every other day...just 'cause. Okay it's because I'm already working on the sequel, and I'm impatient. Yes people, I already have two chapters of the sequel completed, because I'm this obsessed. But still. Every other day updates sound okay to everybody? But don't get too spoiled! And don't take this as a promise, because when I get caught up in my writing, I plug in and go for hours nonstop. No joke.**

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Of The Deep**_

* * *

What Marceline hadn't told Finn was that the first part of exploring an epic old city and fighting some stupid evil prince was _getting_ to said epic old city and stupid evil prince. They had set out a day ago, with Marceline carrying Finn and him angrily complaining that she was't flying fast enough. After she had threatened to drop him, though, he had lightened up. The ominous presence that was the reason for their adventure, however, had continued to hang in the back of his mind, just out of reach. He was trying to keep it there to avoid upsetting Marceline again. Currently, the two were making their way across a forest—Finn walking in a very alert manner and Marceline strolling nonchalantly ahead of him.

"It's the Forest of Helplessness," she had explained after they had landed just outside a shimmering green magical boundary that had no beginning and no end. "Anyone who enters loses their powers, if they have any. Meaning I can't fly. Meaning we're walking."

So now they were going on foot through a dark and creepy forest, which Finn thought was just too cool. The severity of their quest had been forgotten briefly, remembered, and forgotten again too many times to count.

"So is there some sort of evil beast at the center?" he asked excitedly for about the fifteenth time in ten minutes as the effects of severity wore off again.

"Sure Finn," Marceline moaned tiredly. "Whatever gets you to shut up."

"And...and is there a princess?" he continued, ignoring her second comment.

"Ugh," she replied, slapping her own forehead and clearly wanting to slap the dire situation back into him.

"Or...or maybe there's a—!" Marceline whirled around, and he slammed into her. Stepping back and shaking his head, he looked up into the Vampire Queen's scowling face, shadowed by her wide-brimmed hat. She didn't need it (it was night), but she still wore it to keep it safe. Quite unlike her ax bass, which she had forgotten.

"Finn! Give it up! There is nothing here for you to—" she was cut off by a scream.

"Someone's in trouble!" Finn rushed off, pausing and glancing back at Marceline to see if she would follow.

"Oh here we go," she muttered, following him. Finn paid her comment no heed as he turned and hurtled through the trees again. Marceline was significantly slower than Finn, he noticed, but she still managed to keep up, huffing and puffing just a bit from all the exercise after centuries of floating wherever she wanted. As the gap between them became more noticeable, he reduced the admittedly high speed of his pace to accommodate her slowness. She punched his arm in response to his noble chivalry.

They burst through the last of the trees to find a rather elliptical pool of water that reflected the sky brilliantly. The pool stretched so long that neither Finn nor his vampire companion could see either end, but the width of it was short enough that they could see the opposite bank, where a mermaid trapped in a net. She was screaming desperately, only becoming more entangled as she fought to free herself. Her fuchsia tail, bikini top, and hair shone against the dull brown chord, and her tan skin was dry and cracked. Bright blue eyes beseeched Finn's help even from afar, and a beautiful face cleared coherent thoughts from his mind. He set down his sword.

"Finn, no!" Marceline hissed, seizing his arm. "Mermaids are usually evil. They lure in innocent people and drown them for fun," she cautioned. Finn shook her off. This mermaid was too beautiful to be evil, and she was clearly in trouble. He had no plausible cause to deny her aid. Held raptly entranced by the beauty of the mermaid, Finn tore off his backpack, shoes, socks, shirt, and shorts, dimly aware of Marceline's averted gaze as he waded into the pool. The mermaid was ensnared and clearly unable to free herself. She needed his help, and she was beckoning to him...

"Come closer, my hero!" he could hear her call.

"This is a really bad idea," a fully clothed Marceline was beside him. Well, her feet were bare and her hat was gone, but she was otherwise clothed. The hero ignored her and continued wading until the water rose to his chest. When he could wade no farther he began to swim, faster and faster. Looking back, he saw that Marceline had not budged past where the rocky bottom dropped off into nothing. Snorting in contempt, Finn struck out again. He was twenty...ten...five feet from the mermaid! His belly ran onto stone and he rose to his feet, stepping forth and untangling the net. The mermaid's tail split neatly into two fuchsia-clad legs, and she stood, draping her arms about Finn's neck.

"Oh thank you, brave knight," she whispered. Finn opened his mouth to say that she was welcome and also that he wasn't really a knight, but she cut him off with a searing kiss. Finn was surprised at first, to say the least, but closed his eyes and slowly sank into the embrace, wrapping his hands around her waist. She removed his hat and ran her fingers through his shaggy golden hair, stroking his head gently. Finn pulled her against him, and she took a step towards him. Then she took another. And another, forcing him back in her attempt to get close. Water rose to Finn's waist.

"Finn!" Marceline shouted from afar, her voice fairly distant. "She's trying to drown you!" Finn ignored her warning. This beautiful, grateful mermaid wouldn't do that...would she? He opened his eyes to find her staring intently back at him, like a predator watching prey.

Finn was horrified.

She ripped away and shoved him backwards, diving on top of him and morphing her legs back into a tail to drive him down. Marceline's screams faded as Finn sank faster and faster through the cold currents. When he was a fair way down, the mermaid stopped and kissed him again, viciously shoving herself against him with a lusty passion that Finn didn't quite understand. His air began to slowly escape, floating up in large bubbles. The mermaid pulled back, grinning in triumph as she twisted them both around and slammed him back against the rocky wall of the drop-off. More air escaped Finn's lungs, and the mermaid kissed him again, pressing herself up against him as hard as she could. Finn struggled to keep his remaining air inside his body as her mouth moved viciously against his. The mermaid pulled back and flashed another savage, triumphant grin at him, baring shark's teeth.

Then a pale foot struck her in the face, sending her tumbling back. Marceline had come to rescue him. Finn, lightheaded, could barely understand as she began tugging him up...or what he thought might have been up. Where were they going? An icy hand seized his ankle. Marceline tugged harder. So did the other hand. Finn didn't know what to do until Marceline broke him free and dragged him up to her, and he offered a weak kick in assistance. A howl echoed from below. Spots danced before Finn's vision. Was this what dying felt like?

Someone's lips were sealed tight against his. Finn's eyes flew open wide, and he saw Marceline's face, her eyes squeezed shut. Why was she kissing him? Then air filled his lungs and he understood. She wasn't _kissing_ him; she was saving him. He didn't know if she needed air or not, but she was giving some of what was in her lungs to him. As she pulled back, she shoved him up towards the surface and turned to face the mermaid. As Finn floated up, he saw the mermaid slam the vampire into the drop-off. Then he had to swim up.

An eternity, it felt like, with the cold, watery world around him. Then he was bursting free, gasping for fresh air. Barely a moment had passed before Marceline and the mermaid exploded from the water just beyond him, with the mermaid twisting to slam the vampire back into the water. Finn took a deep breath and dove underwater, searching. Nothing…nothing…then he saw them; each had the other's shoulders in a firm grip as they wrestled back and forth. Finn swam closer and gripped the mermaid by the neck, pulling her away. The mermaid shook herself free, but the distraction had been enough. Marceline grabbed the mermaid's shoulders and bit into her throat.

Blood floated everywhere at first, but the misty cloud soon cleared. Finn watched Marceline's pupils dilate as she drank in the sweet blood, her entire expression shifting to pure euphoria. The sight disturbed Finn; his friend slowly sucking the life from the still beautiful mermaid, who was slowly growing still. But he couldn't tear his eyes away as the creature of the deep turned pale, her tail shriveling up, followed by the rest of her. Marceline pulled away and wiped her mouth, tendrils of blood curling away and dissipating in the water. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of Finn, and she gestured meaningfully to the surface. They swam up, surfacing in unison and gasping for air. Marceline blushed as she looked at Finn, floating on her back.

"You weren't supposed to see that..." she said softly, clearly embarrassed. Her gaze swiftly dropped to the few inches of water beneath them, and Finn wondered what his expression must look like.

"'Sokay," he mumbled, a little overwhelmed. He had known that Marceline drank blood sometimes, but that had been...intense. They swam back to shore in silence, Marceline politely looking away while Finn dressed. "Done," he said. "Oh math," he looked across the pool at his hat.

"I'll get it," Marceline said generously, wading in and swimming across. Finn watched her awkward strokes curiously. Did Marceline really know how to swim, or was she just copying him? He would have to ask. She was wading out on the other side now, grabbing his hat and waving it like a flag. Jamming it on her head, she began to swim back. Finn watched her carefully, and decided that she definitely hadn't been taught how to swim properly. As the vampire waded out and handed him his hat, Finn grinned shrewdly at her.

"Marceline...?"

"What?" she asked suspiciously, clearly wary of his knowing smile.

"You've never been properly taught to swim, have you?" she stuttered for a moment.

"No," she finally admitted. "I know how to fly above water, and I know how to float in it. That's always been enough. Rescuing you? That was pure adrenaline," she hung her head in shame.

"Hey, I won't tell anyone. In fact, I think I'll teach you to swim right now," Finn said.

"You will?" she asked.

"I will," he confirmed. "Follow my lead," he waded into the water, with the vampire trailing behind. When he reached the drop-off, the boy stepped off and began to tread water. "Okay Marcie. Try just moving your arms and legs to stay afloat," she shot him a disdainful look.

"Real helpful, Finn," she stepped off of the drop-off and began attempting to tread water, splashing Finn in the face multiple times. He grabbed her shoulders and held her steady.

"Marceline! Think of pedaling a bike," she nodded, and he felt the water around her legs move in a less frantic way. "Now just move your arms in and out," he let go of her shoulders and she almost sank before catching herself. "Okay! Step two; lie out on your stomach and start kicking, moving your arms like so," Finn demonstrated the dog paddle. Marceline copied him exactly. "Quick learner," Finn was impressed. "Now just flatten out and start swimming like this," Finn swam a few freestyle strokes. Marceline gave him an unsure look. "Come on!" she uncertainly swam over, gasping for breath every stroke. He smiled, happy that he had been able to help a thousand year old vampire learn some new tricks.

"Happy?" said vampire grumbled, floating on her back.

"Hey, you asked for it!" Finn replied with a lopsided grin. Marceline responded by dunking him underwater. He laughed as he surfaced, splashing her.

"Hey!" she spluttered, floating on her back again and kicking splashes at him. Finn grabbed her leg and pulled her closer so he could push her under by her stomach. She surfaced with a cough and spat water at him. They laughed and swam back to shore, Marceline still a bit awkward in the water, but much improved from before. When they clambered out, her boots went right on her feet and her hat on her head.

"You know, this has been fun," Finn said with a smile.

"Aside from the whole mermaid part?" Marceline raised an eyebrow.

"Aside from the whole mermaid part," he conceded. "I wonder what'll happen tomorrow?" she groaned, but he saw laughter sparkling in her eyes.

"Do me a favor?" the vampire said with a smile

"What's that?" he asked cluelessly

"Don't wonder," she replied flatly.

They both laughed at that.

"So what's next?" Finn asked.

"Next, we just keep following the road until we get out of the Forest of Helplessness," Marceline told him. Finn looked around.

"Uh...Marceline?" he asked.

"Yeah?" she said, not really appearing to pay attention.

"...Where's the road?" her head snapped around, and they exchanged a wide-eyed glance.

"I have no idea," she said slowly.

"Uh-oh," Finn summarized.

They were lost in a magical forest.


	3. Riven

**Kosmic: Nah you're right, I've just heard lots'a stories about evil mermaids and figured that a mermaid would be more likely to draw Finn into danger than a siren, 'cause mermaids are supposed to be prettier. And yeah, that's why you don't do anything alone in a magical forest.**

**smiley guy: Thanks! And I will, I'm just...erm...encountering some difficulty on its length. Again. and haha, okay! :)**

**The Forgotten Hero: Thanks! Not all the chapters will be like that, but there will be a lot of action.**

**Hejin57: Thank you very much. I haven't watched too much Adventure Time myself, so...writing's a bit tricky, but I guess I don't completely suck.**

**Zanegar: Swimming comes back to bite you in the butt XD sorry, that was a terrible joke...mostly because it's about Chapter 7 of this very story! And that is a verrrry interesting suggestion...heehee. I'm evil, sorry, don't mind me.**

**He23t: If you think it's getting intense now then just wait...ooh just wait...haha!**

**Otakugirl 13: Ugh, I hate it when that happens! Thanks, though; that would be my stupid iPod. I type out my stories on it, and autocorrect wants to replace "Jake" with "Jane" ALL THE TIME! I try to catch it, but I guess it slipped through my grasp...I'll go fix it. And thanks!**

**Shadown478: Indeed they are. Thanks, and don't get spoiled on these, they're just because I got bored and finished the story!**

**BladeGuy9: Thank you, and I actually came up with the idea (here we go) because really, what demonic dad would remember to teach his daughter something silly like swimming?**

**Voice of Hunger: Ha!**

**Neverthrive: Jealousy is a powerful force. And I've always wondered if I was the only one who thought stuff like that! To me, it seems like Finn's almost always either trying to act older around Bubblegum or saving her from the Ice King. They have the occasional genuine moment, but...no. And Flame Princess? She hasn't been around nearly enough. Plus she's kinda...weird. Marceline seems to be the one girl Finn can be his adventure-loving self around! And that cuddling comment? Wait and see...wait and see. Also, yeah it would be hard to write a sequel or two if either or both died this early on...so it's safe to say that the end suspense of this chapter is successfully spoiled. With a lot of my help. Because I'm a blabbermouth...gr.**

**Disclaimer: How many times must I say it? I DON' T OWN ADVENTURE TIME! **

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Riven **_

* * *

"I can't _believe_ you got us lost!"

"_Me_? _You_ followed me away from the road! You're just as guilty!"

"Hey I saved your life!"

"I would have been _fine_!"

"Pft. Right."

The two adventurers were, well, _adventuring_ around the Forest of Helplessness, bursting into heated argument every few seconds. The tension was getting to them.

"Oh look, there it is! _Again_!" Finn pointed at the mermaid pool. "We just walked in a gigantic circle!"

"Hey!" Marceline protested. "You were the one who was leading! Don't try and put this on me!"

"Well...well..." Finn tried to summon another argument. "It was your nagging that kept me going in circles!"

"My _what_!"

"_You_ kept on insisting that we go this way and that way, but you _refused_ to take the lead!"

"Because I _thought_ you were being sarcastic!"

"Well I'm not being sarcastic about this; let's split up. You go how you want and I'll go how I want."

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Finn shouted back, storming away from her.

_Stupid vampire always trying to tell me what to do…I showed her!_

It was only when he could no longer hear her angry huffs when he realized...

He was all alone.

Without Marceline's guidance, he had no clue where to go next. He had no map, no way to travel quickly once they were out of this stupid forest. Even if he found the road, would he be able to make it out?

"Marceline!" he shouted, running back for the vampire, but she was gone. He started blundering through the forest, searching for his friend. "Marceline? Marcie! Where are you?" he was beginning to panic. What if something had gotten to her? All she could do was fight hand-to-hand—which she was admittedly good at. Still, Finn was worried. A rustling noise came from behind him. "Marceline?" he turned to see a harpy glaring at him.

"You're mine, little boy!" he drew his sword and raised it, parrying the strike of her clawed foot. She hissed and struck again, sweeping with her wings to knock Finn's sword away. Raising a foot, she prepared to trample him...but he had rolled aside and was reaching for his sword. She rushed him again, but he managed to cut off her head with one blow. Breathing hard, he looked around. How far could Marceline have possibly gone?

"Marceline!" he shouted again. Thinking that perhaps she had returned to the mermaid pool to wait for him, Finn tried to search out the way the pool might be. "Oh my glob. I've fought assorted dragons, trolls, monsters, and demons, but I can't find my way back to one stupid pool of water?" he looked around angrily. All of the trees were exactly the same! "Argh!" he stabbed his sword into the ground in fury, and a howl of wind whipped up. It sounded...pained, angry. Confused, Finn removed his sword. The wind died, and a sphinx pounced at him from the shadows. Finn dodged, and she flew over his head. "What's up with all the female monsters?" he complained as a huge paw swung at him, tossing him into a tree. Finn collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, as the sphinx took a swipe at him. Claws nicked his left shoulder, and he clutched the bleeding injury in some slight agony. It burned under his touch. Working through the pain, Finn clutched his sword with both hands and swung hard, bringing the blade down on the sphinx's forehead. "None of these monsters are very tough," he marveled aloud.

"You haven't yet faced me," rumbled a growl. Finn turned around to come face-to-snout with a dragon. A very _pink_ dragon.

"Oh come on!" he cried as she spewed hot pink flakes at him. Ducking and rolling, the hero managed to avoid getting barbequed. Leaping to his feet, he struck out at the dragon with a thrusting sweep of his blade. It bounced right off of the side of the dragon's neck, stunning the boy. The dragon laughed.

"No weapon can slay me!" she boasted, clawing at Finn. He dodged and leaped aside, but a plume of fire scorched his back. Crying out in pain, Finn writhed on the ground, pure agony striking him like an ax.

Speaking of axes...

Where was Marceline?

No time to wonder; the dragon was swinging her tail around at him! Finn pushed himself off of the ground and into the air, narrowly avoiding death. He landed heavily, his breath wheezing in his chest.

"I'm going to toast you alive, little human! Then I'll eat you up!"

"Why? Why the stuff would you want to eat me?" Finn shouted, coughing a bit as he pushed himself into his hands and knees. The dragon hesitated. Uncertainty wavered in her eyes. Wind whisked through the trees, and her expression became murderous again.

"Because human is delicious!" she roared, spewing fire again. Finn took cover behind a log (not the best plan of action) before crawling behind a rock.

"Oh math," he muttered as his hiding place began to melt. "For JUSTICE!" he charged out from behind the rock and attacked the dragon, who reared up and batted him aside like he was a fly. His wounds blazed with torturous pain as he hit a tree with his back. "Oof!" he fell to the ground, hitting on his stomach. His sword tumbled away from him. It was over. He squeezed his eyes shut, and his life flashed before him.

"Get up and fight, you pathetic coward!" the dragon was poking him with a claw. Finn, a plan of action arranging itself in his racing hero mind, remained still as she plucked him up with two claws. He managed to snatch his sword and, as she dropped him into her mouth, he stabbed the inside of her throat. The dragon coughed and gagged for a bit before tumbling to the ground, dead. Finn clambered out from her maw and wiped his forehead.

"Camp," he said to himself. "I'm injured, and it's night. I gotta set up a camp," he picked up a flaming branch and made his way through the forest. It was dark and lonely and cold.

_I wish—no, don't wish for that. Jake and PB got kidnapped, and Marceline abandoned you._

Finn found a small clearing and mentally declared it a worthy campsite. Proud, the human walked back into the forest and began gathering firewood with one arm. When he had enough, he headed back and dropped it in a heap before setting the torch to it. It went up like a…well, like a pile of firewood. Now hungry, the human searched his pack to find…

No food.

He slapped his own forehead; Marceline had probably forgotten that he needed actual food. His tummy giving the occasional rumble, Finn headed into the forest to find some…berries or whatever. He was a fair way from camp when he spotted it; a tree full of red apples! Finn rushed to his salvation and plucked the juicy fruit down, munching on apple after apple. He had gone through about twenty of them when he heard a primal growl from the shadows. Admittedly nervous since he was already injured, Finn turned to see blood-red eyes. The figure stepped into the lighter shadows with a twisted grin, and Finn nearly dropped his sword in shock.

"No..." he whispered. "It can't be!"

Staring at him with hunger in her eyes was a very familiar vampire.

Finn backed away from Marceline as she approached him. Her lips were peeled back to expose saber-like fangs, and her eyes were glowing a bloody red color. Her hair was floating wildly about her head, with a mind of its own. Her fingers had extended into claws, and her face was twisted into a sick expression of mixed hunger and anticipation.

"...Marcie?" her grin grew wider.

"Yes Finn?" her voice had three demonic tones; a hiss, a growl, and a normal voice. Finn drew back.

"You're not Marceline," he said firmly, his voice shaking a little.

"Oh but I am, Finn. Don't you know me?" she asked coyly, holding out her hands. Finn backed away until his burnt back went against a tree.

"You...you've been corrupted. You're not yourself."

"Oh now Finn. What could possibly be powerful enough to corrupt _me_?" she walked closer, and he held his sword painfully before him.

"Get back!" half of her mouth quirked down.

"Don't be like that..." she cautioned. Finn's hands trembled with fear for himself and for his friend as they stood there, two feet apart, staring each other in the eyes. He didn't want to hurt her, and knew that the real Marceline would never want to hurt him. But this wasn't the real Marceline; this was a monster in her stead. She had been possessed, corrupted. Finn deseperately searched her bloodthirsty eyes for any sign of his friend, but there was nothing...nothing...

Then she lunged.

Finn dodged aside, refusing to take the free hit as her hands slammed forcefully into the tree.

"Marcie! Wake up! _Wake up_!" he shouted. Marceline blinked. The bloodlust faded from her eyes as she turned to him.

"F-Finn?" he grabbed her shoulders.

"Marceline!" before he could hug her, she backed away.

"Get out of here! It's too strong!"

"What is? Marceline, what's controlling you?"

"You have to kill me," she ignored his question when she realized he wasn't going anywhere.

"What!" he shouted in horror.

"Just trust me! Run me through with your sword. Shred up my heart. I don't care, but kill me! _Now_!"

"Marceline..."

"I can't explain...just _do it_!" she snarled, her eyes flashing between bloodlust and desperation. In that instant, Finn knew that there were only two options; he could either leave her be and die himself, thus forfeiting any chance of saving his friends from the Prince of Games...or he could trust the friend who was with him now. And in that moment, he was decided; he would be selfless. He had to keep as many people alive as possible. With his mind made up and his heart heavy, he met the eyes of the anxious vampire standing before him.

"I'm sorry," Finn said softly as he grabbed Marceline's shoulder and put his sword through her chest.


	4. The Maiden

**Guest: Spoiler alert :p haha but you're right!  
**

**brooklyn1shay2black3: Thanks! And you'll have to read to find out, even though I already told the last person!**

**Unknow: Thanks! Well I'll try for longer chapters, but since I've already finished writing and am just pacing my editing/updating...yeah.**

**Guest: ;)**

**Hejin57: Thanks! I actually explain about the monsters soon...very soon...**

******da nobody namine: Thanks! :D**

**Neverthrive: Yeah, I tried to make it seem like she had some idea of what would happen so that not everyone would drop their drinks or whatever. And I know! They shouldn't have let the pressure get to them...but it had to. Because I said so. Also, that pink dragon will be explained this chapter. Seriously, it should have been just about any color except pink if not for...nope, shuttin' my mouth!**

**Zanegar: Ah ah ah! Don't rush to conclusions! May not be all sadness after all!**

**Shadown478: Ding ding ding, we have a winner! It's not entirely real! **

**Otakugirl 13: I take you at your word. Anywho, I generally suck at cliffhangers, so I'm glad that was a good one! And congrats about guessing that the wind controls the monsters!**

**Voice of Hunger: But wait! There's more!**

**DH88: :D**

**Thank you guys for sticking it out through that freaky plot twist that the story kinda wrote on its own! Fortunately, there's only like one more of those in this story. UNFORTUNATELY, it's like, HUGE. As in, I fell out of my chair when I wrote it. You'll know it when ya see it.**

**Disclaimer: I own the Maiden of the Forest, but not Adventure Time.**

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_**Chapter 4: The Maiden**_

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As Marceline crumpled to the ground, a wailing wind whipped up around Finn. Words were heard.

"Finn...Finn the human...you have offended my fury...you have destroyed my servants...my hosts...now you must be destroyed," Finn withdrew his sword from the body of his friend and looked around.

"Come out and face me yourself instead of hiding behind a mask, you coward!" he roared, twirling his blade above his head as tears threatened to stain his cheeks. He fought them back, but with difficulty; after all, he had just _killed_ one of his best friends!

A presence made itself known.

A tornado of wind whipped up, furiously spewing debris. Finn collapsed to his knees, shielding Marceline's motionless body. When he looked up again, a figure was standing where the swirling vortex had once been.

Made from swirls of mist and light, she was tall, slender, and completely naked. Her eyes as they fluttered open were brilliant blue, and two sweeping angel wings sprouted from her back. Her face was absolutely the most beautiful thing Finn had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of beautiful things. She looked...holy. At least until two scythes made of light materialized in her hands. That made her look a lot less holy.

"Finn the human," she said, and her voice was deceivingly gentle. Soft, like a feather. "I am the Maiden of the Forest. I have no wish to truly harm you. I would just like to...play a little game," she contradicted her earlier statement that she wanted him destroyed.

"What game?" he asked warily.

"A duel of blades. If you defeat me, you may take the body of your vampire companion and leave my forest. If not, your body and hers become mine forever," Finn hefted his sword, his injuries screaming in protest.

"Let's do this, lady!" he yelled. "HYAAAAH!" he charged at the Maiden of the Forest. Strike after strike, sparks of light flew as their blades clashed.

The Maiden twirled both of her scythes and swept them in twin arcs, one aimed at Finn's neck and one at his midsection. He ducked low and parried her second strike easily. She responded by using his blade as a pivotal point, twirling and stabbing her other scythe at his side in a near-fatal blow. Finn jumped back and made her stumble as he withdrew his blade, which was still bearing most of her weight. The Maiden snarled at him, and a flash of angry light flew all up and down her. Finn brought his blade up to block twin swipes aimed at his face, and one of her blades hooked around towards his temple. He leaned back and to the side, successfully avoiding the slash. She dropped to the ground on her back and tangled her feet with his, twisting onto her side and sweeping her legs around. Finn tumbled to the ground, and she was on her feet, one foot on his chest as her blades aimed for his heart. His sword came up and blocked her, causing the blades to go two different ways. Unbalanced, the Maiden fell. Expecting this, Finn scrunched up his legs and delivered a powerful kick to her stomach. She flew into a tree and collapsed to the ground, giving him time to scramble to his feet. Then she was back up, charging and sweeping both blades in deadly downward arcs. Finn twisted aside and aimed a thrust at her abdomen, but she was behind him, and he could barely turn in time to raise his sword and block her blow. The intersecting blades scattered sparks onto his right cheekbone, and he winced at the burns before sweeping his sword down her left scythe and twisting so his blade sliced into her hand, and light streamed from it like water. She cried out and dropped the blade. Now the odds were more even. As Finn raised his sword high to strike her head, the burns on his back froze him in place. The claw marks on his left shoulder were oozing fresh blood. His arms trembled, and he couldn't quite bring the blade down hard enough to tear past her guard. The impact resonated through every tired bone in Finn's body; he was wearing out. His adrenaline rush was fading, and fast. He needed to end this, or he was doomed. Angrily, the human swept his sword down the arc of the scythe and aimed a quick strike at the Maiden's legs; she didn't have time to block. They both drew back, panting. They were each oozing their own type of blood, but the Maiden (so far) hadn't been able to touch Finn; his previous injuries were what was ailing him.

"Ready to surrender?" he bluffed courage and power.

"Never!" she hissed, reminding him of the one whose body he was fighting for as she charged him. His guard went up as a solitary tear trailed down his cheek, and his blade clashed with the Maiden's again. She brought back her scythe, twirled it, and stabbed Finn in the upper left arm. He cried out in pain and simply gripped his sword with his right hand.

_So much for her not being able to touch me. _

Finn agonizingly brought his left hand back to his blade and seized it, ignoring the blinding white pain that flashed before his eyes. He had barely enough time to raise his sword and block a blow from the Maiden. His arm trembled with pain and weakness, and it finally gave out, his hand still weakly clutching the sword but all force behind it gone. The Maiden pressed his blade back until it made a shallow slice in his chest.

"Any last words?"

"Yeah. Your funeral," in her confusion, Finn managed to step forward and, with momentous and painful effort, managed to thrust the Maiden to the ground. Her scythe slid away, and his left arm hung limp while his right handled his blade. He put the tip of his sword under her chin, and she gulped.

"Yes, yes. You win. You may go in peace," she feigned calm, but Finn sensed her fear and knew that he could kill her. She wasn't immortal.

"And you won't ever trap anyone again?" her eyes sparkled, and Finn was about to chop of her head when a thought occurred to him. "What the heck was up with all the female monsters, by the way?"

"My spirit may only inhabit female beings. Some...strong ones...I change their gender," her eyes sparkled again, and Finn gulped at the thought of _that_ happening to him.

"And now that you've been defeated?"

"Defeating me does _nothing. _No matter what you do, your vampire will be doomed forever," Finn screamed in fury and killed her without a second thought. She dispersed into wisps of light and mist, and a sigh echoed through the forest. It was as though the curse of the Maiden had been lifted.

_ No matter what you do, your vampire will be doomed forever, _the words rang through Finn's thoughts, and tears freely streamed down his cheeks.

_Marceline._

_Gone._

It was impossible! She had been there for him since she had tricked him into being her henchman...she was one of his best friends. No. She couldn't be gone! Finn dropped his sword and pressed his hands to his face, just wishing that it would all _end._

From where Marceline lay, a gasp was heard. Finn hurried to her side, leaving his sword on the ground.

"Marceline!" he crouched beside her as her eyes flickered open, watching in awe as the cut he had opened healed, leaving nothing but a faint scar above her heart, visible through the hole in her shirt.

"Wha...Finn? What happened?" she asked woozily, holding a hand to her temple as she tried to sit up. He caught her shoulder with his good arm.

"Take it easy there, Marcie. I just killed you."

"You did what?" she asked in surprise. "First off, I'm immortal you idiot. Second, I think I would remember something like that."

"No, you died," Finn said. "Something was possessing you. You came to yourself for just a moment and told me to kill you," she frowned, clearly trying to remember.

"Oh yeah..."

"Yeah. Also, I killed the...um...woman...thing that was possessing you. After that, you...uh...woke up, I guess?"

"Limbo," Marceline murmured.

"Come again?"

"I was hanging in a type of limbo, Finn. I was a soul, wandering around in endless blackness. It was really boring; I felt when my body died, though. I should've known. Anyhow, limbo's one of two things that can happen during possessions."

"What's the other thing?" he asked curiously.

"Much worse. You're trapped in your own mind, slowly reduced to insanity as you watch everything 'you' do. Limbo is less...unstable. Souls have a harder time reaching their bodies again. It takes something real and true to bring them back. Something like...well, you," Finn blushed. There was an awkward silence.

"We should probably make camp—"

"I've got a campsite over that way—"

They started talking over each other.

"You first. No, no you. Um, why don't we just..." they blushed.

"We could just…" Finn gestured vaguely to where his fire was still burning.

"Yeah," Marceline agreed. He helped her up with his good arm, and her face turned red. "Uh, Finn? You know that pack I, ya know, _packed_ for you?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Could you patch yourself up before we get close like this again?" Finn blushed and backed away so their faces _weren't_ only inches apart. "I don't mind it, per se," she winked playfully, "but it's hard for me to control my vampire instincts around your delicious human blood."

"Delicious?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Human blood is like candy to vampires...and you're the last human..." Marceline was staring hungrily at his bleeding arm.

"Marcie?" he waved his right hand in front of her face, and she snapped out of it.

"Oh! S-sorry, Finn," she blushed.

"It's okay."

"I'm just still in bloodlust after the mermaid, and you smell so good, and—"

"Really. It's...really okay," Finn said awkwardly. Marceline nodded and started to walk towards the smoke. Finn sat down and rummaged through his pack for some bandages. Discovering the white roll of cloth, he pulled it out and began tightly wrapping his shoulder. The pressure hurt a little, but he knew that it would stop the bleeding and (hopefully) Marceline's cravings. Then he tugged (and kind of peeled, because it had nearly fused with his skin in the back) off his shirt and struggled to wrap a bandage around his midsection, hoping to wrap up his cut and burns. Cursing his clumsy failure, he decided he had no choice but to ask Marceline for help. Scooping everything except the bandages back into his pack with one arm, Finn left his shirt lying on the ground (it was burnt past the point of reuse), slung the pack onto his good arm, and weakly plucked up the bandages off of the ground before standing, hefting his sword, and ambling towards his camp. When he came through the trees, Marceline looked up from where she was crouched by the fire. He thought he saw her face flush, but it could have been the heat of the flames getting to her.

"Finn! That's an open cut!" she pointed to his chest. "I thought I told you to fix yourself up!"

"I can't. You'll have to help," Finn muttered, holding out the bandages. Marceline tensed, then relaxed with a sigh.

"Okay. It's not that deep…I can do this. Hand over the pack; I have some burn salve in there," Finn did as she commanded, and the vampire sat on the ground with her legs curled under her as she rummaged through the pack. Finn sat beside her and set down his sword and the bandages on the ground, resting his left arm gingerly on his knee. "Here it is!" Marceline proudly held up a small red jar. Finn blinked in slight surprise as she opened it to reveal a glowing, bluish paste. "It's made from the pure essence of water; pricey but effective," she dipped two fingers in the stuff and gently took Finn's jaw in her hand. He tried to pull away. "Hold still," she ordered as she gently laid her fingers on the burns that dotted his right cheekbone. It didn't hurt; it was...pleasant. Cool. It felt almost tingly. A loopy grin spread across Finn's face. "Stop smiling, you idiot," Marceline's fingers gently trailed down his face, and she crawled behind him. Her cool hands on his back, combined with the cold kiss of the salve, made the human shiver.

"Marcie?"

"Mmhm?" she reached for the bandages, and another shiver rippled across Finn's body as the vampire's hands reached around and brushed his stomach while wrapping. No particular reason; just an involuntary reaction.

"You said earlier that human blood tastes delicious," he heard her fumble. "You haven't ever...you know...have you? Marceline?" she didn't answer for a long time, and she didn't move, either.

"I did...once. When I...I..." he could sense her hesitation. "I was really hungry, and I wasn't thinking! It was an accident, I swear!" she cried, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Finn shifted so he could see her, but she looked away from him. "Marceline."

"Don't hate me," she choked out. Finn was startled, partly because Marceline was acting _emotional_ and partly because she thought he could ever hate her.

_Probably just the pressure of everything. Glob I hope we don't break down and fight again..._

"Why," he said in disbelief, "would I _ever_ hate you?"

"Because he..." she bit her lip, "was you ancestor."

Finn stared at her, openmouthed.

Then he laughed.

"Sometimes, I just can't believe you!" he chuckled. "You really think I'd hate you over some guy who's long dead?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "You _should_! Your whole family has wanted revenge until _you_!"

"My family," he said gently but firmly, "is Jake, Bubblegum, BMO, and you," Marceline's head jerked up so she could stare at him in shock, "and that won't ever change," There was a long moment of silence.

"I guess you're right, hero," Marceline finally said softly. "We _are_ family," something indistinguishable flashed in her eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"What, no hug?" he asked playfully. "Every mushy moment has a hug!" she flicked his forehead.

"Don't get your hopes up. Now let's get back to these wounds," she began wrapping again, and Finn smiled.

Because he knew he had family there for him.

"Done."

"That fast?"

"Finn, it's been like five minutes. You must've zoned out or something."

"Oh..." Finn blushed a little and yawned.

"Why don't you go to sleep? With all your blood and the sun coming up, I don't think _I'll_ be getting much shuteye," Finn yawned again.

"Okay, but," his sentence was interrupted by yet another yawn, "wake me up in a couple hours for second watch," she smiled and nodded, and he curled up on the ground. Even though he was still shirtless, sleeping on the ground with a pack for a pillow, and hurt, things were looking up.

Now if only they could find that stupid road...


	5. Scorching

**Kosmic: :)**

**Guest: Thanks!**

**Hejin57: Thanks! I usually have issues with fight scenes, so I'm glad this was a good one.**

**Voice of Hunger: Yeah...heehee if only you'd seen my wickedly evil grin!**

**Zanegar: Aww, unicorn puke! I love unicorns! *cough* Anyhow...yes, but that would have been too easy ;D**

**DH88: Thanks! As I believe I've said before, I'm new to the show, which is why I'm surprised that everyone says I'm keeping people in character.**

**Shadown478: XD and WHAT? But pumpkin pie's just...CHOCOLATE PIE HAS CHOCOLATE! Chocolate automatically boosts your mood and self-esteem...and it has caffeine! **

**He23t: :D**

**Otakugirl 13: I never would! And I mean, I just figured that she was of the forest, so...yeah, wouldn't be around much civilization. Plus it would indeed emphasize Finn's need for vengeance. And I really hope not, because then who would give me these amazing reviews? It's reactions like that that keep me going. And Drama Bombs will hopefully be updated before August strikes us; I'm having issues with its word count. It won't let me extend the scenes...grr.**

**Special Note (that everyone's gonna skip XD): Thanks for everything you guys do. From reviews to favorites to alerts, whenever I see that I have a new email concerning this story, it just makes my day five times over. So again...thanks. I dunno why I'm feeling mushy...I gotta go write something random and emotional now to get it out of my system. This note is done.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Adventure Time. I do, however, own the King of Souls. Don't steal him without my permission. Not nice.**

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_**Chapter 5: Scorching**_

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When Finn's eyes blinked open, the first thing he noticed was sunlight. The second was Marceline sleeping against the tree eight feet in front of him, her hat low over her face. Finn smiled slightly.

_So much for second watch. Huh. She's kinda cute when she's asleep...wait, what? This is Marceline I'm thinkin' about here!_

Finn knocked on his own head to rid himself of unwelcome thoughts and crawled over to Marceline.

"Marceline. Come on, wake up," he gently shook her shoulder, making sure her hat didn't slip. She grumbled under her breath. "I know you can hear me," he peeked under her hat to find her glaring at him. The hero grinned. "Good afternoon!" she was sitting upright immediately.

"_Afternoon_?"

"Heh, yeah, we overslept," Finn scratched his head sheepishly. Marceline sighed.

"My stupid fault. I fell asleep," she muttered. "We should work on finding that road before it gets dark again.

"Yeah, right," Finn nodded and they set off on their quest. Before long, Finn was whistling cheerfully.

"Finn, stop whistling."

"I can't help it; I feel so happy!"

"We're lost in a forest that sucks out all my vampire powers like an oversized leech and you're _happy_?"

"Yup!" he continued to whistle.

"Cut it out!"

"Make me!" he stuck out his tongue. Marceline grabbed it and continued walking, dragging him along by the tongue.

"Ouch! Marcie, cut it out!" his speech was garbled. The vampire smirked.

"Promise to stop whistling?"

"Never!"

"Then no," she gave his tongue a squeeze. Finn yelped.

"Marceline!"

"Yes Finn?"

"Let go of my tongue!"

"Promise to stop whistling and I will," she continued to drag him. Finn stumbled after her.

"Okay okay! I'll stop!" he finally mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you..."

"I said I'll stop!" he tried to pull his tongue away and she let go, sending him flying to the ground. His head smacked into a tree. Why were there so many trees?

_Because it's a forest. Duh. _

"Finn, are you okay?" Marceline was crouching beside him, her eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine, why?"

"You had me worried. You've just been lying there with this weird expression on your face. I thought I'd given you a concussion or something," she smiled with the relief. Finn tossed his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Honestly! Why do I keep zoning out?" Marceline just chuckled, standing and pulling the rather upset hero to his feet.

"Maybe it's because you're such a weenie," she teased. He punched her arm and found out why nobody punches vampires.

They punch back.

The two laughed and kept walking, this time without fighting, bickering, or otherwise getting on each other's nerves. In fact, the walk was rather silent until...

"Hey what's that?" Finn pointed. Marceline squinted for a moment before her whole expression brightened immensely.

"It's the road! Come on, Finn!" they ran onto the dirt road, which had helpful arrows pointing to the way out. "I think we're gonna be okay."

They walked for the rest of the day and night without rest, and by the time morning came, they had reached the end of the trees. Before them stretched an endless expanse of red sand, rolling with dunes.

"The Desert of Lost Souls," Marceline murmured, as if in a trance. She soon snapped out of it, though. "I packed some rope in your bag. We'll need to tie ourselves together," she said.

"Why? Can't you just fly over?" Finn asked.

"Heat rises, you idiot. The higher I get, the hotter it gets. We'd be toasted alive," Finn nodded in understanding and slid off his pack, rummaging around for the rope.

"Rope...rope...oh there you are!" he held it up proudly. "That's not very much rope..." indeed it wasn't. By the time Marceline had tied them together by the waists, there was less than a foot of rope between them.

"Good," Marceline nodded in approval. "Sandstorms whip up at the tiniest brush of air; we'd be separated in an instant," she explained at Finn's confused expression.

"Oh."

"You didn't think I was doing this for kicks, did you?" she raised an eyebrow and he blushed. Without him ever answering, they stepped off of the road and into the sand.

The heat hit them like they had just walked into the Fire Kingdom wearing winter clothes.

"Glob!" Finn panted as they struggled onward. "It's hot up in here!"

"Yeah, well, it only gets hotter," Marceline replied. "Good thing you never put on a shirt," he blushed at his own goof, and his blush didn't fade because of the dry, hot wind that swept over them, bringing a cascade of sand with it.

"Pah!" Finn tried to spit out sand, only to have more sand enter. Squeezing his eyes shut, he put down his head and pressed on.

"Finn!" Marceline's voice was ripped away by the wind. "Finn, it's a sandstorm! We _need_ to stop!"

"We've wasted too much time already! Jake...Bubblegum..."

"Will be better off than we will if we don't hunker down!" Marceline shouted back above the whipping wind. Finn reluctantly stopped trying to fight the storm and copied Marceline as she walked parallel to the wind, taking shelter in the leeward side of a dune. They sat there, side by side, silently, for hours.

_We had to keep moving! I have to find Jake and Bubblegum! I have to rescue them! Why doesn't Marceline understand that? _Finn thought angrily. He repeated this in his head for a few moments before deciding to get some sleep; walking endlessly for a day and night was immensely exhausting. He curled up on the sand and snoozed until the wind began to die down and Marceline shook him awake. The sun was setting, and all was still. They hesitated, though; was it really over? When the two adventurers dared to venture from their sheltering dune, the desert had changed. Dunes had fallen and new ones risen. The red sand was swirled in new patterns, strange designs. One in particular stuck out...

A human skull.

Finn bent and touched it lightly. Marceline pulled him away.

"Finn, leave it alone!" she hissed. He turned to look at her and saw that her face was strained. "This is the Desert of Lost Souls, remember? Your _soul_ can get _lost_?" she hinted

"Oh yeah..." he chuckled nervously. She rolled her eyes, but he sensed her worry.

"Yeah, weenie. Now let's get moving," Finn nodded curtly and began to walk again, her right beside him. "I can tell you're mad at me."

"What? I'm not mad at you!"

"You're not mad that I saved your life instead of letting you continue on a suicide mission through a sandstorm?" she stopped and raised an eyebrow. He blushed even redder than he already was.

"Okay so maybe I'm not _happy_ about it...but I'm not mad, either. Just...mildly annoyed, I guess," Marceline shot him a disbelieving look, but said nothing more on the subject as they resumed their swift pace. It had barely been five minutes when another wind swept up.

"Look!" Marceline pointed at a looming darkness. "It's a castle!" all Finn saw was a blob. "Come on, Finn," she dragged him in that general direction. They fought the storm and barely made it to the heap of stone.

"Well whad'ya know," Finn said in wonder. "It _is_ a castle."

The castle they were standing before was short and squat, with a wide tower on each corner. Before them was a set of large double doors made of wood, set in the gray stone of the castle. Marceline, as though in a trance, began to shove them open.

"Marcie, wait!" Finn hissed, but it was too late. The doors were swinging open to reveal a bloated toad sitting on a gilded red throne. The toad was mottled all colors imaginable, and clad in a white robe that shimmered with tortured faces. It licked its own eyeballs as the adventurers walked in. The doors slammed shut, and a lock clicked.

"Greetings, Finn the human and Marceline the vampire!" it boomed in a masculine voice.

"Queen," Marceline muttered under her breath.

"I am the King of Souls. Would you like to play a game with me?" it—he—asked.

"What's at stake?" Finn shouted across the huge hall. The toad blinked.

"Why your souls, of course. What else?"


	6. Hopeless

**BladeGuy9: Thanks! :D**

**Kosmic: Thank you, and no problem at all!**

**Hejin57: Really? I love it when that happens! :D**

**Voice of Hunger: :)**

**Shadown478: Ah...mm...well...CHOCOLATE PIE WILL RULE THE WORLD! XD**

**DH88: Thanks! ANd don't worry about rambling...I once ranted about zebras for five minutes. I was super hyper.**

**Zanegar: I know...sucks, right?**

**He23t: Couldn't have said it better myself.**

**NOTE THAT EVERYONE WILL SKIP...again: As we approach the halfway mark in the story, I'm just gonna say that if you didn't read last chapter's note, you need to read that. Also a shout-out to my Drama Bombs fans: I promise, I'm working hard! the next chapter WILL be up before August 1, short or long! Probably short.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Adventure Time, and I still own the King of Souls**

* * *

_**Chapter 6: Hopeless**_

* * *

"What's your game, King of Souls?" Finn shouted.

"Oh it's quite simple really. If you and your companion can answer all of my riddles, I will permit you to leave my desert. But should you fail..." he licked at his eyes, "I will take your souls for my robe and allow your bodies to rot in my dungeon," Finn and Marceline gulped.

"We'll play your game!" Finn finally agreed.

"Finn!" Marceline hissed. "You suck at riddles!"

"Let us begin!" the toad boomed, interrupting the budding argument. "Your first riddle; what walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?"

"Oh I've heard this one," Marceline said confidently, still glaring at Finn. "A man! He crawls as a baby, walks as an adult, and uses a cane in his elderly years."

"Correct!" the toad roared. "Next riddle; only one color but not one size, stuck at the bottom yet easily flies, present in sun but not in rain, doing no harm and feeling no pain."

"Get some originality!" Marceline called out. "It's a shadow!"

"Correct! What force and strength cannot get through, I with a gentle touch can do, and many in the street would stand, were I not a friend at hand!" Marceline appeared stumped, and the toad looked rather pleased with himself. Smug, if you will.

"In the street...no home...homes need doors...doors have...a key!" Finn cried.

"Correct!" the toad was grumbling now. "Round like an apple, deep like a cup, yet all the kings horses can't pull it up."

"Hm..." Marceline was thinking hard. "Round..."

"Deep..." Finn muttered. They exchanged a glance.

"A well!" human and vampire shouted in unison.

"Hm...Old Mother Twitchet had one eye and a long tail that she let fly, and every time she went through a gap, she left a bit of her tail in the trap."

"Lady Rainicorn does this all the time!" Finn exclaimed. "Old Mother Twitchet is a needle! A needle and thread!"

"Correct...hm..." the toad thought. "Long legs, bandy thighs, a little head, and no eyes."

"A pair of tongs, like when Jake's cooking!"

"Maybe you're not so bad at riddles after all..." Marceline raised her eyebrows, and Finn blushed.

"Here's one; in marble walls as white as milk, lined with skin as soft as silk, within a fountain crystal clear, a golden apple does appear. No doors are there to this stronghold, yet thieves break in and steal the gold," Marceline and Finn were thoroughly stumped.

"Marble walls but no door? Could be some sort of bank," Finn suggested. Marceline raised a single eyebrow.

"'Within a fountain crystal clear?' I think not."

"Well what's your genius idea?"

"Uh...a magical spring, maybe?

"Why would thieves break into—?"

"Golden apple, Finn. Golden apple."

"Oh. Right. But it still just doesn't seem..."

"I know," Marceline sighed. "But it's all we've got," as soon as she turned, it hit Finn.

_No. I can't let her say it! _

But he was paralyzed. He knew the right answer, but fear froze him to the spot. His deafening heartbeat thundered in his ears, blocking out all noise. He watched Marceline's lips move, saw the toad's evil gleam of triumph. The vampire's eyes slid to Finn, and he knew that he had failed her.

_Unless..._

"WAIT!" he thundered.

"Yes?" the toad asked cockily.

"She answered, not me. I get this riddle and the next correct, we both go free. I fail...and we're yours."

"You could leave here now, human. I will not pursue you."

"I'm not leaving without her," the toad's eyes glittered with cruel excitement at the thought of having two new souls.

"Very well!" he exclaimed.

"Finn, what the heck are you doing?"

"It's an egg," Finn said, ignoring Marceline's whisper. "The stronghold. It's an egg," he repeated, louder this time.

"Congratulations human. Now for my final riddle. As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sack, each sack had seven cats, each cat had seven kits. Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, how many were going to St. Ives?"

"You suck at math!" Marceline exclaimed. "How the heck are you gonna get this one right?"

"No help!" the toad boomed. Marceline fell into Finn's arms as the misty white shape of her drifted out and hung suspended in a glowing cage of rainbow energy. Finn gently laid the vampire on the ground and sat beside her to think. Well he didn't have much choice, considering that they were tied together.

_Seven wives...plus seven sacks...that's...uh...fifteen? Plus seven cats is...twenty-one? And seven kits is thirty. Plus one, so thirty-one. Thirty-one were going to—wait a second. _

_If I was going to St. Ives...how could I meet up with people unless...?_

"King of Souls!" Finn shouted, drawing his sword in an overly dramatic gesture. "It was just me! One person was going to St. Ives!" the toad blinked. Marceline's soul clutched the bars of her prison, waiting for the verdict that would either free her or incarcerate her forever.

"...Very well," the toad finally admitted defeat. The cage dissipated, and Marceline's soul floated back down to her body. She gasped for breath as Finn helped her up. "You may go," the doors swung open, and they began to leave. "But know this!" the pair looked back. "By escaping my wrath you have only brought about your imminent doom."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Marceline waved him off as they walked back onto the hot desert sand. They walked, following a stone road that had magically appeared (probably when Finn had bested the King of Souls). Marceline untied the rope. "I'll bet it was that oversized wart causing the storms," she said in response to his surprise. "We're plenty safe now," and they began to walk.

"Don't you think this quest has been a little...easy?" Finn asked Marceline after a little bit. She looked at him strangely.

"Finn. I just _died_. Twice. I don't call that easy," she said. Finn blushed.

"I-I just mean...it seems like all that's happening is we're playing a video game. We beat a powerful boss and we go on our way peacefully. But _we're_ not at the controls."

"Whatever," Marceline said, her gaze wandering to the next dune. Finn scowled, and they continued to walk. Before long, Finn was really regretting not checking Marceline's packing job. Why?

Because she had forgotten to pack water.

"Well sorry that I'm not human anymore!" she had shouted when he'd accused her. Now she was ignoring him while he struggled along, his throat feeling like it was closing up and his tongue heavy in his mouth. Marceline marched right on ahead, leaving Finn behind. He tried to call out, but he was too tired, too thirsty...and without Marceline, his hope failed him. He staggered off of the road and fell to his hands and knees. The unfamiliar feeling of loss of hope for finding his friends overpowered the hero, and he collapsed to his hands and knees in the sand and lost his breakfast of apples the hard way. The sound was enough to alert Marceline, who was there in a moment, rubbing his back gently. When he had finally emptied his stomach, he started to tremble violently. Marceline helped him sit back, and loosely looped her arms around his neck from the side, her chin on his shoulder.

"Sorry..." he apologized weakly, looking at the ground in shame. She gave his neck a squeeze.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have gotten mad like I did. Ahem," she cleared her throat as he turned his head slightly to glance at her out of the corner of his eye, surprised. "You feeling better?"

"A little."

"Well then, let's get moving," she helped him to his feet and they stepped back onto the road. They walked for what seemed like many hours, but in reality was only about one. Finn was off in Finn World when Marceline stopped suddenly, leaving him to slam heavily into her.

"Oof! What?"

"I can smell figs! And where there're figs..."

"There's water!" Marceline grabbed his hand and tugged him off the road. The two adventurers ran, hurtling through the desert until they reached a tiny oasis. The pool of water was tiny, only two feet wide, but it was sheltered by fig trees and had water. Finn collapsed and immediately began cupping water in his hands, bringing it to his face and gulping it down. Marceline chuckled and floated up into a tree, tossing down some figs. They landed with dull thuds and splashes of grains in the sand. The vampire floated down and leaned against the trunk. When Finn turned from his quest to drink the entire oasis, he saw that she was sweating. Deciding that he had had enough water for now, he scrambled over and began to devour figs. It was after his third one that Marceline stopped him.

"Easy there. Let's pack them up for later," she suggested. Finn nodded in agreement, and they stuffed the figs into Finn's pack. He spotted something and brought a small silver flask from the bag, one eyebrow raised. Marceline blushed. "So I like wine! What's the big deal? I—_hey_!" Finn dumped the red wine onto the sand.

"It's a luxury, Marcie. I need water to survive," she sighed heavily and nodded. Finn filled the flask, sealed it, and shoved back it in the pack. They stood and hurried back to the road, continuing on their way. It wasn't too long before the pair finally escaped the desert, standing on a rather grassy plain, the atmosphere of which being much, much cooler than that of the sand behind them. The two adventurers were currently staring at a rather large, rather dark cavern that yawned at them. Stalactites and stalagmites were bonelike fangs, and it was a mouth. Eyes watched them suspiciously from inside before blinking out. Red eyes, with various types of pupils.

"Uh...you go first," Marceline shoved Finn in front of her. He sighed and looked back at her.

_She _lives_ in a cave! _And_ she's immortal! Why the heck is _she _scared?_

"Don't suppose you thought to pack a lantern, either?"

"I can see in the dark, you weenie."

"Then _you_ go first."

"I will, thanks," she walked into the cave. Her entrance was followed by the exit of many bats, and Finn resisted the urge to scream. "Hey Finn, it's pretty cool in here! Both kinds'a cool!" Finn was quick to hurry in. Sure enough, the cave had a huge waterfall inside. The waterfall started at the floor as a spring and dropped through a hole, falling into oblivion.

"Hm. Nowhere to go," Finn noticed, looking around for a path and finding none. Marceline grinned abd stuffed her hat into his pack.

"Betcha there is," and she vanished down the waterfall.


	7. Darkness

**Zanegar: Ha! XD**

**Kosmic: Aw, thanks! :)**

**Otakugirl 13: I know! They should totally be all buddy-buddy. And isn't that funny? Also, he has indeed. Thank you, and I shall! :D**

**He23t: Thanks!**

**DH88: Thank you! I just pulled the riddles out of an old book I had when I was a little kid...it's actually a bit embarrassing...**

**BladeGuy9: Thanks! :)**

**Tatgirl: It's never too late! I know I could have been more descriptive, but my heart just wasn't in it at the time. **

**Hejin57: I just pulled all the riddles out of this old book I have. And yeah, he is XD great, right? Romantic tension rules! Thank you!**

**The Forgotten Hero: Aw, thanks! And haha, you caught my very obvious clue! Congrats! Thank you, and I shall! :D**

**Shadown478: But...okay, so maybe pumpkin pie rules Jupiter. But Jupiter still doesn't have a 100% certainty of life! Earth is way cooler, making its ruler cooler, meaning that chocolate pie is cooler and pumpkin is not. Now I'M winning. Also, chocolate pie rules Mars. Other also, thanks and I'm glad I taught you some new riddles! Stump your friends and make them feel stupid! XD**

**Voice of Hunger: :)**

**Disclaimer: Uh...no. I still don't own it. **

* * *

_**Chapter 7: Darkness**_

* * *

Finn hesitated for a brief moment before following Marceline.

"Woo!" he couldn't resist screaming on the way down. The waterfall was a slide! It twirled left, right, up, down, and all around before depositing him in a rather deep pool of water, which fed an underground river. He swam to the surface to see Marceline floating just above the water, clearly searching for him.

So naturally, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her in.

Caught off-guard, the vampire fell into the water right on top of Finn. He sank underwater briefly, but quickly shoved her off and floated back up. They laughed like idiots.

"Ouch!" Finn yelped as a sharp pain shot through his butt. "I think something just bit me."

"Hey!" water stirred as Marceline kicked at something underwater. "Something just tried to take a chomp outta my foot!"

"Let's get the heck outta here!" but before they could, a giant snake reared its head. Multiple baby snakes squirmed, their tails stuck inside the momma's pores.

"...That's disgusting," Marceline summarized about the black serpent, only visible because of the red eyes and the fact that it was darker that the cavern itself. "But at least we know we're in the Caverns of Endless Darkness! This place is crawling with snakes. Oh, and bugs," Finn whimpered a little. "Oh man up. Let's kill this thing!" she floated up and grabbed Finn's hand as he raised it. The hero drew his sword and prepared for battle.

Marceline brought him in close enough so he could stab the snake in the throat. As she tugged him away from the screeching beast, it spat. The wall behind Finn sizzled.

"This thing spits acid?" he shouted. The snake hissed and spat again, and this time Marceline hissed back. She swooped in again, and Finn slashed off a few babies so he could stab the snake's head. It screeched and began to swim downstream. They followed in close pursuit until the serpent turned and struck out, almost grabbing Finn's leg. He kicked it in the nose as Marceline hauled him out of danger.

"Finn, you ready?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. Release the Finn-Bomb!" she tossed him at the snake, and he did a few midair flips, just to show off his mad skills. "HIYAH!" he landed on the shake's nose slashed out its eyes before stabbing it right in the head. As the snake began to fall, Finn jumped off and held out one hand, entrusting his life to the vampire who had forgotten to pack him food. Marceline caught him, and they flew away from the resounding crash of the fallen monster.

"Nice one," Marceline high-fived him in midair (it was mostly her holding his hand still and smacking it, considering that Finn still couldn't see), and they continued to fly.

_That was super easy! Ha! I was all WHAM! and SLASH! and it went down! But man, I bet that wasn't the boss. Wish it was...because I can't even see my own nose, _he crossed his eyes to prove it.

"Hey Marcie, you can see, right?"

"Yeah."

"...Where are we?"

"The Caverns of Endless Darkness are a labyrinth, Finn. According to the journals of Mike, we're supposed to follow the river, so that's what I'm...uh-oh," they stopped moving.

"What, 'uh-oh?'"

"...'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both.'"

"Pardon?"

"It's a poem from before the Great Mushroom War by some guy named Robert Frost. Anyhow, the river splits up."

"What the math!" Finn shouted.

"_Math...math...math..."_ his voice echoed back.

"Finn, shout again," Marceline ordered.

"Why...?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay. MATH!"

_"Math...math...math..."_ they began to move again.

"Where're we going? I thought the river split up!"

"I have super good hearing, remember? I can tell..." while she started off on some explanation about sound, echoes, and bats, Finn stopped listening.

_Man, she sounds like Bubblegum! Bubblegum...I hope we get to her in time. Jake too. I miss them! Not that I don't like hanging with Marcie, I mean this quest's been pretty mathematical, but I wish the circumstances weren't so dire. Dire...that's a funny word. Die...er. Dire. Hm. _

"Finn!"

"Dire!" he yelped. There was a pause.

"'Dire?'" he imagined her amused expression and blushed.

"I was thinking!"

"Wow. What's the occasion?" she asked sarcastically. He wished he could slap her.

"You were acting like PB."

"Was not!" ah, so he had hit a sore spot!

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too-oo!" he said, as if drawing out the word made it more truthful. She childishly stuck a wet finger in his ear, and he yelped in surprise. The vampire began to cackle maniacally.

"For a thousand year old vampire, you're pretty immature."

"I know you are but what am I?" she proved his point about her maturity level.

"Less mature than me," Finn said smartly.

"I can and will drop you."

"You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" Marceline's grip loosened. Finn clutched her hand desperately with both of his.

"Okay! Okay I'm sorry Marcie! You were right!"

"Wow...chill you weenie. We're practically on the ground."

"We are?" Finn had curled up into the fetal position around Marceline's hand. When he uncurled himself, his butt hit the ground. "Oh we _aaare_!" he imagined that she was rolling her eyes.

"What are you, scared of the dark or something?"

"No way! The only thing that scares me is _the ocean_," Finn's voice got majorly creepy. Marceline chuckled.

"Man, I _still_ laugh about your stupid fear," Finn felt his ears turn red.

"Someday I'll find what you're scared of, and I'll be able to tease you with it!" he threatened.

"I highly doubt that," she snorted. "Vampires don't feel fear. It's part of our charm."

"What charm?" Finn teased, grinning. Marceline punched his arm.

"We're staying here, because I'm getting way too tired to keep lugging your heavy butt around," Marceline yawned; he heard the outrush of air. Finn nodded, shifting uncomfortably as he dropped his pack on the ground between them, hoping he didn't hit her feet.

"But do we have to stay _here _here? It's so cold!" he complained—mostly because he still didn't have a shirt on. Another thing about vampires; they don't like stopping for anything but food and rest. He heard Marceline sit down, rummage in the pack, and snap her fingers. A fire had started, lit on a few twigs she had apparently packed in the Forest of Helplessness when he wasn't looking. "Why didn't you do that sooner?" she gave him a deadpan look and lay down, a few feet away from the fire. Finn opted to remain standing—that is, until Marceline propped herself up on her elbows and looked over at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Well? Come on hero, it's not every day I offer to cuddle up to you," she said with a smirk. Finn turned red.

"Uh...lemme...lemme just…um…" he crouched and rummaged around in the pack for a shirt. There was only one change of clothes for each of them.

_I'll be able to write a book about why people don't travel with vampires soon,_ Finn thought with a grimace as he slid his shirt over his head before crawling over to Marceline and lying down a few inches away from her. She wriggled closer and wrapped her arms around him. She was...cold, at first, but her skin warmed on contact with his until she felt almost...human. As she drifted off, pressed firmly against Finn's side, he put his arm (the one that wasn't pinned beneath the vampire) around her, turning a little so they were facing each other. She unconsciously nuzzled her head into his chest just a bit more, and he couldn't help but smile as he drifted off.

* * *

_Finn could sense it. His parents—his human parents—were troubled. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew. When his mother smiled at him, she always bore a trade of sadness. His father had always been...distant, at best, but now he was almost never around. Finn missed him, but he enjoyed that he had more time with the other children. There were only eight of them (there weren't many humans in the village), so games were a lot of fun. They couldn't play many games, but they played pretend. Or at least Finn and his best friend, Darien, did. He would be the hero and she would be the princess. He'd rescue her from the vicious village dog (actually a rather gentle giant), and she would hurl herself into his arms. They never kissed (cooties and all), but they hugged plenty._

_"Finn's very mature for his age," John had always said about his son, who was walking and talking months ahead of the others. "He'll be a great man one day."_

_Tonight, Finn knew he was supposed to be asleep, but he wanted something to drink. He toddled out of his room (his parents couldn't afford for a crib to be made, but he had a pillow and his baby blanket on the floor) and stood by the door, sucking his thumb. _

_"...if we can hold out, Azalea. We lost three yesterday. His forces are getting stronger, and ours weaker," John sounded tired. _

_"But...but the children!"_

_"We have to run. Take Finn and leave. It's our only hope. The Candy Kingdom will offer us shelter, if we can make it that far."_

_"And if we can't?"_

_"You said you found a cave on a hillside, on the mainland. We'll take Finn there and leave him, if worse goes to worst. There're nice folk around that place; they'll take care of him," Finn's mother began to cry softly. "Azalea, we knew this could happen. We have to leave the Human Kingdom. Tonight."_

* * *

Finn sat up with a gasp, awakening Marceline.

"Finn?" she murmured. In the dying light of the embers, he saw her rub her eyes. "What's wrong?" Finn stared into the sputtering sparks, his eyes heavy with sad pensiveness. These dreams...were they really dreams? Or something more? "Finn, talk to me," her hand brushed his shoulder gently before coming to a rest near his neck, massaging deep into his muscles as she began to work his flesh gently. It felt very good to the hero, and he almost lost track of his dream. Before he could forget it completely, Finn turned his head to look into her concerned eyes.

"Marceline...have you ever heard of the Human Kingdom?"


	8. Arachnid Entrails

**I'm sooo anxious about this chapter! You'll either love it or you'll hate it and stop reading the story. Let's hope you love it! Oh and if you're a spider fan...I apologize in advance.**

**Kosmic: Haha, just remember that for the sequel! :D**

**BladeGuy9: Hm, yes...what will happen...? :) Oh yeah, sorry I keep forgetting to review Blood Ties...I've been on overload lately D: I swear, I'll review it as soon as I get some free time! Probably in August, 'cause I'm all booked up with writing and homework for July. Yikes.**

**Zanegar: Yes, but dreaming is also totally epic...and an excuse for fluff!**

**DH88: Ooh I was just warming up for this chapter! 3,000 words! YEAH!**

**Shadown478: But still. This Earth is where we are now, and if chocolate pie rules here, it rules YOU. And this is treason. **

**Voice of Hunger: ;D**

**The Forgotten Hero: So much drama that I had to put in four different warnings! And yes, her fear shall be revealed...IN THE SEQUEL! Bwahaha! And just you try...**

**Neverthrive: First off, welcome back from Not Here Land! Okay second, thank you. I actually just kept forgetting to write in Finn putting on a shirt, and there was no room for me to squeeze it in anywhere! It ended up being a bit of a joke with myself, really...because that happens again. Yeah, I actually managed to poke fun at it this time, though! Just a little. Finn's past will later come back to bite him in the butt; both dreams are important (at least in my crazy mind) to the plot. They show Finn's relationship with his actual parents and how he left the Human Kingdom. If you can figure out my insanely crazy plot twist (which happens in Chapter 12) that made my fall out of my chair when I randomly wrote it in, congratulations! Because even I didn't see it coming, and I'm the author here. As for Drama Bombs? I swear, I will have SOMETHING tacked on by August!**

**He23t: Indeed.**

**Guest: ...**

**Guest: Why thank you! I'm assuming that the next few comments are still you. I'm relieved that that comment was a fake; sometimes all it takes is one bad review to break an uncertain writer. Thank you (three times over), and nonono, don't feel stupid! Also, try to catch one of the BEST Adventure Time episodes (one of the few that stars Marceline!) and your opinion of the show will improve greatly.**

**Disclaimer: I own my FREAKING WRITING ADDICTION! I also own the Serpent God. Know what I don't own? That's right; ADVENTURE TIME! I also don't own a penguin named Waldo. Ignore the police reports.**

_**WARNING: Finn's slightly OOC in the first part, but reread the part right before his OOCness. Seriously. Would you react any differently?**_

_**THAT OTHER WARNING: An F-bomb is dropped, but only one (that I can remember). Turn your young children away after Marcie's speech. Wait...there's one other mild cuss word. Also turn your kids away after...um...uh...when the spider grabs Finn, I guess. I dunno. I just write it. If it fits it ships, ya know?**_

_**UM...OTHER RANDOM WARNING: This chapter is basically why I rated the story T. Contains cussing, flipping off, and *cough* I'm not spoiling it or freaking you out. Okay I am, 'cause nobody reads this stuff. Contains undressing, but NOT IN THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING! It's not that easy, guys! Don't you know me by now? I'm offended! Apologize! Hmph.**_

**_I'M SICK OF WARNINGS: Mentions guts numerous times, not a lot of detail though. And yes, I did name this chapter "Spider Guts," okay? Just...shut up. -.-_**

**_I WARNED YOU! Like four times...hrmph...if you skipped them, it's your own fault._**

**_Also, I apologize if I ever call the Prince of Games "he." I think I caught everything, but nobody can be sure..._**

**Now I'm gonna go watch What Was Missing. YEAH!**

* * *

_**Chapter 8: Arachnid Entrails **_

* * *

Marceline was silent for a long time.

"Where," she finally said, her voice soft and foreboding as the first faint rumbles of thunder, "did you hear about _that_?"

"A dream. Or maybe a memory," Finn frowned. "I'm not sure."

"I need to tell you a story, Finn," Marceline sounded like she'd aged years, maybe even centuries for her. "Bonnibel swore me to secrecy years ago, when we were still friends, when I didn't even know you existed…don't ask me how she even _knew_ this...brainlord. But when I promised not to blab, it wasn't a _Royal_ Promise. She'd understand," the vampire took a deep breath. "Long ago, the dominant species in the world was humanity. But humanity was...complicated, at best. They fought endlessly, and were constantly inventing new ways to kill each other. Finally, some of the nations created nuclear weapons and...well...they annihilated each other. I was in the Nightosphere at the time, a mere observer. It was terrible to watch. When the dust settled, Ooo had been created, and only a single trace of humanity remained. They settled on an island to the far west, away from the mainland and its strange inhabitants, by the ruins of one of their own cities. This island grew to be called the Human Kingdom. They prospered, and were greatly loved by all of Ooo. The humans had ambitions, ambitions to be great, and these ambitions kept them working hard to succeed.

"But it came to pass that one human grew more ambitious than the rest.

"Darkness festered in his soul. Not my kind of darkness, but an evil darkness. He made a deal with a powerful shadow demon, even more powerful than my father...a prince, as it liked to be called. 'Make me immortal,' the human said, 'and I will be your host forever.' The demon knew a good deal when it heard one, so it accepted. The human was trapped in his own mind as the demon took over him. He—_it_ was exiled, but it rose up and fought back. For centuries the wars raged on and the human population dwindled. Only a few years ago, _it_ took over the island completely. But two humans escaped with their son. They hid him in a cave, and he alone survived the wrath of the demon.

"That son was you.

"Now the demon wants to finish what he started. It wants to kill you. That's why it kidnapped Bonnie and Jake. It _wants_ you to go to it. It _wants_ you to fall into its trap.

"Finn...the Prince of Games...it did all of this to kill _you_."

There was a long silence. Then...

"That _bastard_," Finn whispered. "That fucking _bastard_. It killed my family."

"I know," Marceline's chin rested on his shoulder. "We'll avenge them."

"No," he told her firmly, staring straight ahead. "_I'll_ avenge them. You're not really involved in this yet, Marcie. Go home."

"You really think I'll leave you out here all alone? Come on," he heard the smirk in her voice, and it somehow lightened his heavy heart. "We both know you won't make it far without me. I've got all of Mike's journals memorized from my last trip, even though I've forgotten how I got there myself. Plus, you dimwit, how are you gonna know where to go in this darkness if you don't have me around?"

"I still don't want you getting hurt because of my stupid decisions."

"Finn, you should know by now that the only stupid decision you can make at this point is sending me home. Well actually, you can make a lot more, but that's the only one I can think of at the moment. I'm tired. Now stop being all serious, you're worrying me! I mean I like you when you act all mature, but..." she seemed to realize that she was rambling. He felt the heat from her cheeks as she blushed. "I guess what I mean is, I'm with you, hero," she kissed his cheek lightly. "Now let's get some more sleep."

* * *

Finn awoke to eight eyes, staring right at him. He smashed the tarantula with his fist before it could crawl into Marceline's hair. The vampire had, at some point, begun to float, and was now suspended about two inches off of the ground. Finn gently brushed a stray hair from her face, and her eyes flickered beneath their lids. Panicking (he didn't want to be caught showing any tender affection towards his friend), Finn didn't even dare to breathe. Marceline's face eventually relaxed again, and he moved his hand back to her waist.

_What would've happened if she would've woken up? I bet she'd have punched me. _

Finn swatted a tarantula away from the back of his neck. And another from his leg. And his hat. Where were they all coming from?

"Marceline. Marceline, wake up," he shook her shoulder, and her eyes slowly blinked open.

"What do you want, Finn?"

"...I think we're under attack," she was sitting up (well, still floating) in an instant, snapping her fingers. One of the spiders caught fire, and Finn's jaw dropped.

The walls and ceiling were covered in tiny creatures.

"Can you set them _all_ on fire?" he asked as he stuck a twig on the spider to make a torch.

"That would make me pass out," Marceline admitted.

"B-but when we first met! The candles!"

"And what did I do after that? Drained the red from a strawberry. Is there something red around here? No," she had already taken the red from her clothes, probably while Finn had been sleeping in the Desert of Lost Souls.

"What about your change of clothes?"

"Ate those too."

"Have you ever heard of rationing? I mean, I haven't eaten since the figs in the desert!" his stomach moaned in agreement.

"Oh hush," she grabbed his hand and they floated towards the river. Spiders dropped like bombs from the ceiling. "Disgusting," Marceline muttered. "Ow! They're biting!" she winced.

"Stop as soon as there're no more eyes!" Finn suggested.

"No duh," she rolled her eyes, her face flickering in the light of Finn's makeshift torch. It was a whole ten seconds before they landed...meaning Marceline dropped Finn and stood rigidly. "Get. Them. _Off_," she growled through gritted teeth. "They hurt like crazy," Finn stood up (his torch was thankfully still alive) and walked over to the vampire, brushing down from the back of her neck to her lower back and crouching to sweep them off of her legs.

"...There's one on your butt."

"_Where_?" Marceline was almost screaming.

"...I don't think I need to say it again..." she reached back and brushed the spider off before stomping on it with her black boots (her red ones were safely at home). The vampire blew a bit of hair out of her face and grabbed Finn.

"Let's go," a rock fell in front of them, and they jumped back against the wall.

"Or maybe not."

"No, we're going," Marceline said firmly. She hurled herself into the air with great force, dragging Finn after her. He winced at the feeling of his arm almost being pulled from its socket, but the sensation soon faded into the rush of wind. The torch flickered.

"Marcie, slow down!" he shouted.

"Why?"

"The torch!"

"Oh!" they stopped suddenly, and Finn jolted forward, his hand tearing from Marceline's grip. "Finn!" in the fading light of the torch, he saw her stretch a hand towards him, saw the clicking spider mandibles below him, saw the straining hairy legs that reached up for him. Then the torchlight fizzled out, and he saw only blackness for a moment.

Then blinding white pain ripped through him, and he screamed.

"_Let go of him_!" Marceline sounded _pissed_. He heard what sounded like her morphing into one of her demon forms, and was suddenly released from the gripping pain. Something caught him gently, and he heard the sound of a fist slamming something squishy into a wall, followed by a splat. Something wet hit him. Torches, in a ring around the huge spherical cavern, suddenly flew into life. In an instant, Finn took in the scene: he was covered in spider guts, lying in the palm of a giant bat (also covered in spider guts); there was a huge splatter of spider guts on the wall and a few guts spattered around the cavern; a huge white snake with white bat wings and blue eyes was coiled in the corner. The human blinked as he was gently lowered to the floor, and Marceline reverted to her normal form.

"Uh...this is kinda gross...but totally math!" Finn exclaimed.

"Finn? Disregarding that we're both covered in spider guts, there's a giant snake watching us like some freaky creep," she pointed out the serpent.

"I know," Finn shrugged.

"And...?" Marceline prompted.

"...Pretty neat," she gave him a deadpan look. She was getting pretty good at those. "What?"

"_You're_ the hero. _You_ tell me."

_Do spider guts make her extra testy or something?_

Marceline was waiting for him to speak.

"Hey! You! Snake with the creepy eyes!" Finn finally shouted. The snake hissed.

"You have aroused the wrath of the Serpent God. The Serpent God is not pleased with you."

"Uh...okay. Well, Serpent God, I'm guessing you're the 'boss' of these caves."

"The Serpent God is lord supreme of the Caverns of Endless Darkness," it was uncoiling. Finn gulped at how long it was. "The Serpent God would like to play a game with you."

"Hey moron! Stop talking in third person!" Marceline shouted. The snake's head reared back.

"The Serpent God dislikes your comment. The Serpent God will destroy you now," it unfurled its huge wings and screeched. Finn staggered back from the sheer force, and Marceline covered her ears.

"That all you got?" she shouted once the snake was done. "Finn," she hissed softly, "I can't do this fight. Bat ears; too sensitive. Sorry, but you're on your own," Finn nodded.

"I'll try and shut it up for you," he said, drawing his sword and charging the snake, ignoring the pain that shot all through him, resonating in every bone. His reactions were a little slow, though, and he barely dodged the snake's tail as it ripped around. The snake slithered at him, reared up, and spewed fire. Finn rolled aside and slashed his sword as the snake came in for a bite. He made a huge gash that ran from under the outside corner of the right eye to the right nostril. The Serpent God screeched in fury and pulled back, fire still spilling from its jaws. It proceeded to swing its tail around and strike Finn in the head. He crumpled to the ground on his back.

"Oh now you've done it," Marceline growled, clearly forgetting her sensitivity in fury. He saw her turn back into her giant bat form and charge forward. The serpent swung its tail at her, but she caught it and flung the monster into the air. It smacked the top of the cavern, but caught itself on the downfall. Marceline hefted herself into the air with her wings and hung before the Serpent God, and it just couldn't win. When it swung its tail around, she caught it and spun it into a wall. When it spewed fire, she dropped to avoid it. Only once did it land a hit; its head darted forward and seized her shoulder. Marceline cried out in pain and punched it away.

"The Serpent God always wins."

"The Serpent God's about to get a mouthful of fist!" Marceline shouted, punching the snake in the mouth. It flew back into the wall and tumbled to the ground, limp. Marceline reverted to her usual form and floated down to crouch beside Finn. "Finn? You okay?"

"Fine," he mumbled.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" she flipped him off.

"Not nice, Marcie."

"Ah, you're okay then!" she grinned.

"I just said I was."

"But you're a big fat liar," she stuck out her tongue. He was about to retort when he winced in pure sympathy—and some of his own pain.

"Marcie! Your shoulder!" he had spotted her shoulder wound; two holes, each the size of his fist. The span between them had shrunk with Marceline, but they looked painful.

"They'll heal," she replied carelessly. Finn sat up slowly and gingerly pulled at her shirt so he could see the area between her wounds; it had a vaguely greenish tinge. Finn drew in a deep, hissing breath.

"Marceline, that's poison."

"It'll heal," she repeated insistently. "I'm immortal. Stop being such a weenie."

"Yeah," Finn sighed. "I just...I can't help but be worried, ya know? Other than Jake, you're my best friend," Marceline turned a little red.

"Um...thanks," there was a rather awkward silence. "We should probably get these spider guts off now."

"We should," Finn agreed immediately. Marceline grinned, carefully pulled him up, and began tugging him towards the river.

"I _would_ drop you, but that would be cruel considering your injuries."

"So…you're gonna do it."

"I _was_…then ya figured it out," she glared at him playfully and waded in, lying on her back in the shallows. Finn joined her, and they watched the light sparkling off the cavern ceiling together.

"Heh. This is kinda cool," Finn admitted.

"Yeah," she said softly before blushing and clearing her throat. "Hey, your shirt's majorly stained," she noticed as she sat up.

"So it is…" Finn mused.

"Take it off."

"What!"

"Finn, do you want a clean shirt or not?" he sighed and removed his shirt.

_I seem to be going through a lot of this quest shirtless,_ he realized as Marceline held the shirt underwater and began to scrub viciously. He watched her in awe_. Marceline the Vampire Queen…doing laundry? Huh. Never would have imagined._

"Yo weenie, quit staring," she told him without glancing up.

"Sorry, it's just that…" he searched for an excuse, not wanting to admit that he had simply been watching her in fascination. "Your shirt's stained up, too."

"Hm. So it is," she looked down and reached for its hem.

"Gah!" Finn blushed and squeezed his eyes shut and brought up a hand to cover them for good measure as she started to pull her shirt up. "What the hey-hey, Marcie!"

"What? Friends can change in front of each other," he could imagine the mirth in Marceline's eyes, and saw it sparkling there as he dropped his hand.

"No way in all of Ooo am I man enough for—"

"Haven't you seen me naked?" Marceline raised an eyebrow and Finn blushed.

"Well..."

"So you _did_ see me!"

"What! You didn't know?"

"Not for sure, no," she admitted with a grin. Finn punched her arm.

She punched him back.

"Ouch!"

"Ooh sorry Finn, was that your bad shoulder?"

"Yes!" he clutched the bandages, which only made it hurt more.

"Now back on subject. You've seen me naked, I've seen you in your underwear. Well guess what; we've both got to get it together and get comfortable around each other. How else are we gonna do this quest?" Finn turned a very bright shade of red as he nodded. Marceline smirked and tugged off her shirt, and he turned away so he didn't ogle her (even though she was his friend, she was still a girl, and he was still a teenage boy). "Finn, you can look. I don't care. Like I said; get cozy with it," he turned around and stubbornly kept his eyes on her face. Marceline smiled and patted his head. "Good boy. You're not too embarrassed to look me in the eyes, but you're not perving on me either."

"Uh…thanks," they climbed out of the water, Marceline laying Finn's shirt out on a convenient rock, along with her own. She then began to wiggle out of her jeans. "Ah!" Finn closed his eyes again.

"What?" he opened one eye to see Marceline blushing. "They're really uncomfortable! And…and…argh, why do I have to explain myself to you?" her cheeks flushed even redder as she kicked away her jeans and stormed off.

"Oh glob!" Finn smacked his own forehead and chased after the vampire, running backwards alongside her. "Marcie I'm _really_ sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything, I swear! Please don't be mad at—oof!" he feel backwards rather spectacularly, whacking his head on a rock. "I hate this place…"

"Hey," she crouched beside him. "I'm not mad, just frustrated. You're heroic virtues are really adorable," she took off his hat to ruffle his hair before tossing his headgear onto a nearby rock, "but they frustrate me sometimes! You get _so_ embarrassed _so_ easily, and I just want us to be comfortable around each other. I…I don't know Finn. I've never felt quite like this before. I _really_ don't want to scare you off like I did when we first met," she blushed, and he realized she'd just pretty much poured out a part of her soul to him.

"Marceline, you should know by now that you can't scare me away from something once I'm attached."

"Yeah," she smirked. "You're like some kind of parasite."

"Hey!" they laughed, and Marceline helped him up. They took a few more steps and reached the dropped backpack. "Um…you mind turning around…? My shorts are kinda…" Marceline half-smiled.

"Whatever makes you comfortable," she turned away, and Finn pulled down his shorts, walking over to lay them on a rock. He then returned to the pack, crouched, and began sifting through it.

"Oh cram. Marceline, did you pack underwear?" she turned back around and blinked.

"Uh...may have forgotten that," Finn sighed heavily through his nose. "It's fine. We'll just dry by fire!" Marceline floated up to retrieve a torch, and he turned away so he wouldn't be peeking at her scantly clad derrière. Only when he felt the heat of the fire on his back did he turn around again. Marceline was lying on her back beside the blazing flames, smiling. He blushed as he took her in and lay down beside her.

"So...I take it we're out of the 'normal friend' zone?"

"Oh yeah," Marceline appeared to be falling asleep. "We're in the 'super-close friend' zone now," she yawned and rolled over, cuddling up to Finn's side. He blushed and gingerly put an arm around her bare waist, rolling to face her. As she snuggled into his chest, the human hesitated before deciding to thank her for everything she'd done, from saving his life to spilling out her soul to him. And Jake had always said that actions speak louder than words...

So he gave the vampire a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thanks," he whispered. "For everything," he added.

"No problem," she mumbled back, smiling.

Then they were asleep.


	9. Bones

**Whew, glad nobody got TOO majorly thrown at last chapter (The Forgotten Hero, I am looking at you :p). Paranoid Author Syndrome ;D**

**_HEY! EVERYONE! THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT! IF YOU SKIP IT YOU'RE MISSING OUT!:_**

** Okay now that I have your attention...Hejin57 is drawing a comic of this story! Who else thinks that is totally awesome? Link's k-el-amrani . deviantart . com if you wanna check it out! Please do; it's way epic! If you don't know the site, I know it well enough to say hit "Browse Gallery" and look for the ones from this story...one of them's just plain adorable :3 (you'll know it when ya see it!) **

**Wow...99 reviews! Thanks guys! 100th reviewer, I will make a big deal over you. Maybe...if I'm in the mood.**

**DH88: Thank you! That awesome ladder may come back...I haven't finished my editing of the final chapter. Because I don't consider anything truly done 'til it's published. And I'm glad I made up for the shortness of Chapter 7! **

**Hejin57: Thank you. Nice comment about the balance there! I hadn't even realized I was doing any balancing acts! And wow, did you actually read my warnings? I'm amazed if you did. In any case, I'm sooo glad you don't think Finn was being out of character! I also think you're right, by the way. I mean, we all know that "lump" is practically standing in for a certain cuss word that shall remain unsaid for the moment! 'Cept when LSP's talkin' about her body..ugh. ANd ohmygosh, I had no idea it would be tricky! Haha, but at least I'm giving you a challenge and therefore helping you improve your skills! :D**

**Kosmic: Yup, and there will be a sequel to that sequel! Don't trilogies rule the world?**

**BladeGuy9: Thank you! And Finn gets embarrassed again very soon. Within the first paragraph of this chapter, he turns absolutely red. Wy do I love to torture him so?**

**Shadown478: BOW! BOW BEFORE THE SUPREMACY OF CHOCOLATE! The rebellion can and will be crushed, because with the power vested in me by the random recipe my mother found, I declare WAR! Haha, I declared war first! :p BUT in other news, thank you very much for your dedication. To reading...not pumpkin pie.**

**Nick the vampirekiller: Thanks! Me too ;)**

**Voice of Hunger: Thank you! :)**

**Zanegar: I know! :D**

**Neverthrive: As previously stated, I have Paranoid Author Syndrome. I get jumpy at every little thing that COULD be considered out of line. I hope to get over it soon. And yeah, I figured that at least one boss guy would have to be absolutely over-the-top full of himself (or herself...or itself), and the speaking in third person was just me having a little fun with it. And yes, super-close friend zone is a cover up for "I really like you and you really like me, but the author doesn't want us together yet."**

**The Forgotten Hero: See this is why I put in my warnings. I was really trying to get the seriousness of the Prince of Games annihilating the humans down, that was all. And thank you! What? You dare threaten me? I shall call my imaginary army! Oh wait...they're off waging a pie war...uh-oh. **

**TheSilverFox118: Yes, it certainly is WAAAAY up there, one of my favs. And thank you!**

**Otakugirl13: Aw, if you were a dog I'd probably hug you (I love dogs)! Even though you probably wouldn't be typing since dogs don't have thumbs...hm. What's gonna happen? Haha, expect a single MAJOR drama bomb in the future! Yes, yes he is far more powerful than our dear Mr. Abadeer. Which very creepily rhymed...ahem. Ooh you're very welcome! Thank you!**

**InK-on-her-fingers: No, it's not lame! Every review seriously matters to me. Thus the reason why I take the time to respond to everyone! :)**

**He23t: Aw, thanks!**

**Reiz16: Thank you!**

**SilverWolf313: Thank you! :D**

**Disclaimer: No. Just...just no. I don't own it. **

* * *

_**Chapter 9: Bones**_

* * *

Finn awoke to quite the shock; Marceline beside him. In her underwear. Before he recalled the activities that had led to the predicament, he humiliated himself by letting out a (rather girlish) shriek. Marceline jolted awake and looked at him in surprise. His whole face turned bright red and he stuttered for a moment. She figured out the problem and smirked.

"Yeah, nice reaction, hero."

_Not like you would have done any different in my shoes,_ he thought, but bit his tongue.

"Come on; let's get dressed," Marceline stood and strode over to her abandoned clothes and shoving them into the pack in favor of her spare ones. Finn tried not to perv on her as she tugged on her jeans, but it was admittedly tough. So he distracted himself by fishing out his change of clothes...well, his change of pants.

"Ah cram! My shirt!"

"I'll get it," Marceline told him as she pulled on her own shirt. After yanking on her black boots, she headed to the rock. Finn set about to pulling on the rest of his clothes, taking a quick bathroom break while Marceline wasn't looking. He'd been doing this since they'd left; sneaking away for a couple minutes just to have some privacy.

"'Kay, it's not dry yet, but it will be dry in a few hours," Marceline said, walking back over to where Finn was searching for the figs from the Desert of Lost Souls. When he found them, he pulled out twin fruits (the last two) and began to eat, watching as she crammed her wet clothes and his shirt into the pack.

"Well what'll I do 'till then?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Go shirtless," was her reply, accompanied by a wink. Finn turned a little red in the face.

"Um...uh..." he stuttered a little and Marceline laughed.

"Calm down, weenie," she said, still chuckling. "It's no big deal, especially after the ordeal last...er, before we went to sleep."

"Why not 'last night?'"

"Because we don't know for sure if it was night."

"Oh..."

"Just 'oh?' Nothing else?" she teased, poking his arm. He poked her back in response. "Hey!"

"You started it!" they had a brief poke war, which she ended with a purple nurple. "Cheater!" Finn rubbed the sore spot and stuck out his tongue. She stuck hers out right back at him. "So how much further do we have to go in here, anyhow?"

"Um..." Marceline considered. "Well Mike thought he was in here for weeks so..." she shrugged. "Of course he got lost a few times, but we're too epic to get lost. Right, Finn?" he laughed nervously. "Hey, meeting the Serpent God meant we were on the right path. Speaking of which...you wanna slay 'im?" Finn nodded solemnly and drew his sword. Normally he wouldn't slay an unconscious foe, but this was an exception. This thing was a _real _monster. He limped over to the snake (when had his injuries gotten so painful?) and thrust his sword through its head. "Now come on back here and let me take a look at those wounds!" Finn limped back over to Marceline, and she unwrapped his bandages. "Your burns are gone, that's good, but your cut looks like it's getting infected."

"And the claw scratches?"

"Gone."

"Good."

"But," he braced himself, "Your entire midsection is a giant bruise from that oversized bug. I'll have to mummify you again," she pulled out a couple items from the pack. "Salve to fight the infections," she held up a white tube before squeezing some onto her hand and gently brushing it onto Finn's shoulder. He flinched. "Don't be a weenie," the vampire scolded, drawing back.

"It burns!" Finn exclaimed in surprise. Marceline sighed.

"Of course it burns; it's burning away the infection," she told him as she began to wrap his shoulder. Finn sat perfectly still for her, trembling a bit at the burning pain in his arm. She then moved onto his bruises, wrapping from the waistband of his pants up as high as she could go without restricting the movement of his arms. Finn winced at the pressure on his wounds, but Marceline didn't even seem to register his pain.

"Too tight!" Finn gasped.

"No it isn't."

"Yes, it is!" she slipped two fingers between the bandage and his chest to prove that no, it really wasn't.

"If anything, it's too loose."

"What? I can barely breathe!"

"Well that means it's just right!" she grinned impishly and he glared at her.

"You're evil."

"I get it from my dad," they both had a good laugh at that one. "Now let's get moving; we've still got a lot of cave to cover," Finn sobered immediately at the reminder that his brother and ex-girlfriend had been kidnapped. "I don't think carrying you like I usually do will work, with your injuries and all," Marceline continued thoughtfully. He began to nod in agreement.

"What are you...?" he began to ask as she grabbed his good shoulder. "Hey!" the hero exclaimed in shock as she swept him up into her arms and took off, carrying him in a rather scrunched-up bridal style. Finn's face burned because of its position.

"Like it?" Marceline raised an eyebrow.

"No!" he said quickly, assuming she was referring the wonderful view he was currently _not_ enjoying due to his heroic spirit and modesty. Marceline's eyebrow slid up farther, and she smirked a little.

"You don't? Should I take offense?" Finn gaped at her.

"What? No!"

"I think I should," her expression turned dead serious.

"Oh come on Marceline, you know how I am about this stuff!"

"I guess you just don't like me," she pouted. Finn made a face at her.

"I'm still not looking," he insisted.

"Wasn't trying to get you to," she grinned. "Pervert."

"What!" he protested. Marceline chuckled a little, and Finn's blush deepened. "Why did that stupid spider have to bite me?"

"Hey, it wasn't poisonous!" Marceline put in cheerfully. "At least as far as we know!"

"Very encouraging."

"I try."

Finn didn't know how long they flew, but he did know it had been too long when Marceline started to drift off. At first he didn't notice, but then she began to slowly drop in altitude, and when he turned his head, her eyes were closed. He pinched her.

"Marceline, wake up!"

"Huh?" she jolted awake.

"You were drifting off," Finn informed her.

"Oh," she blinked. "Sorry, Finn."

"'Sokay."

"Maybe we should—hey what's that?"

"What's what?"

"Wait a second. Finn...this whole time, you've been able to see me."

"Well yeah..." he waited for her to make her point while she waited for him to fill in the blanks. A slow smile spread across the hero's face. "Light! There's light somewhere!"

"There ya go!" they landed briefly so she could put on her hat, then kept going through the rather narrow tunnel, and it only got narrower. Eventually, the river dropped away (they couldn't even hear when it hit rock again) while a very narrow tunnel led straight up. Light poured down in a cascade of refreshing brightness.

"How the heck did a centaur squeeze through there?"

"Who knows? Better question; how are _we_ gonna squeeze through there?" Marceline asked. Finn scowled in contemplation.

"How about I go first?" he said. Marceline shook her head.

"No way. What if there's some sort of trap on the other end? You won't have time to draw your sword. Plus, I'm lighter than you," he couldn't argue with that logic.

"Can't you just float up?"

"No way am I letting you do this alone!" she protested. Finn rolled his eyes at her stubbornness, but nodded. He knew that they wouldn't fit up together (it narrowed near the top).

"Then let's do it," he said confidently. Marceline floated up a short way into the tunnel and allowed him to press himself against the wall; feet on one side and back on the other. The vampire then floated up past him and pressed herself into the tunnel in the exact same way. She pressed her hands behind her and began to slowly climb up, slipping every few "steps." Finn copied her, spitting out the occasional rock.

It was grueling work.

Before long, Finn's every muscle burned. He wanted nothing more than to drop into oblivion. Marceline above him was trembling, but she kept climbing. Finn knew that he couldn't leave her, and he couldn't leave without saving Bubblegum and Jake. So, noticing how little passage was left to travel and shaking with the effort, Finn hurled himself upwards. He slammed into Marceline and paid no heed to her exclamation of pure shock as she tumbled from the hole, landing about a foot away. Finn landed half in the ground and half still in the hole. With a breathless cry of pain, the hero began to slip. Marceline grabbed his wrist and saved him. She hauled him from the bottomless pit and onto the sand. They lay there, panting, for some time; on their backs, side by side. When Finn recovered, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked at Marceline worriedly. Her face was burnt as she pulled her hat over it with her bare hands, which were also blistered. Finn didn't know how she had forgotten gloves.

"You okay?" he asked, and she managed a breathless laugh.

"I'm fine if you are, hero," the vampire replied, sitting up. Finn sat up with her and looked around at the sand they were sitting on; it was pure white.

"Where are we?" he asked wonderingly. "Not another desert."

"No," Marceline replied thoughtfully. "We're on the Sands of Forever. It's a beach that borders the Endless Ocean."

"Why can't they just call it 'the beach?'" Finn asked, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

"Because," was Marceline's rather unhelpful answer. "Now come on weenie, we've got to find something to build a raft with."

"Why?"

"It's not called the Endless Ocean for nothing. I can't fly over it."

"What! Marcie! I'm terrified of the ocean!" Finn yelped. Marceline sighed.

"You wanna rescue Jake and Bonnie or not?" she asked. Finn hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Then help me find stuff for a raft," they stood and began to scour the beach.

"Found some wood!" Finn called as he discovered a wrecked rowboat. Marceline walked over and blinked.

"Finn...if we fix that up, we'll be good to go. No raft-making required. You look for the oars; I'll look for the missing pieces," she floated away.

"Oars...oars..." Finn muttered as he looked for them. "Where are...oh there you are!" he spotted one and bent to pick it up, promptly falling back and scrambling away.

Clutching the oar was a human skeleton.

_Human_.

Finn, shaking, reached out to touch it.

"Finn!" Marceline was there in an instant, swatting him away. "Leave its soul to rest!"

"But Marcie...it's human..." her hard glare softened...to about a diamond level hard instead of her patented vampire glare, and she helped him up.

"I know. But...believe me. He doesn't want to come back to Ooo. Not now that he's moved on," she said softly. Finn watched as his friend gently removed the oar from the dead grip without touching the bones. "There. May he rest in peace."

"Rest in peace," Finn echoed, wondering if the man had been a relative.

"Come on, Finn; we have to find that other oar," Marceline said quietly.

"Could I have...?"

"Sure," she slid her hand into his for just a moment before floating away. Finn crouched by the skeleton. All his life he had hoped to find other humans, and this was the closest he had ever been. After a few minutes of solemnity, Finn walked back to where he could see the smoke of a campfire.

Marceline was roasting a fish, holding it by the tail over the fire. Finn assumed it was for him (partially because it was kind of shriveled up, implying that she had already fed). He was touched by the gesture; it must have been hard to catch a fish, and there were plenty of red shells around for the vampire to snack on. He sat beside where she was kneeling and watched her for a time; the way her brow furrowed in the concentration of roasting the fish to perfection, the way her eyes occasionally darted down to him, the way she _breathed. _He didn't know why; he just did. On one of her stolen glances, she noticed him watching her and frowned.

"Finn, I know I'm beautiful and all, but I'd appreciate it if you stopped creeping on me," his face burned. "Oh relax you weenie," the vampire noticed his mortified expression and slung an arm around him. "I'm not _really _upset," she assured the hero. "I'm just…mildly annoyed. Have a fish," she stuffed the now burnt seafood in his mouth, and he laughed, spitting it out and tearing off the head.

"I feel…" he began as he took a bite of fish, "like we should give that skeleton guy a proper burial."

"Why?" Marceline asked incredulously. "You didn't know him."

"I just feel like it's…I dunno, _right _somehow," Finn shrugged, taking another bite. Marceline stared at him in awe.

"That's why I…like you, Finn," she said with a slight blush. "You're always going out of your way to do the right thing," nothing more needed to be said.

And so it was that the human and the vampire stood before a hand-dug pit at sunset, the bones of the human lying within. The pair worked in silence to cover him until all that marked the grave was a single bone-white shell, and that felt right to Finn. They walked back to their dwindling fire in silence, lay down on opposite sides of it in silence, and closed their eyes in silence.

All the same, the moon had risen high by the time Finn finally managed to fall asleep.


	10. The Ocean

**_READ THIS!_**

**_I won't be able to update again until the 9th, for reasons that involve my grandparents not having any Internet. At all. Sorry guys! Occupy yourselves with the comic at k-el-amrani . deviantart . com! It's pretty epic._**

**_AWESOME 100TH REVIEWER! _Hejin57: Yes yes, everything will be revealed...in the sequel! Haha! Thanks for giving me Review #100!**

**Kosmic: She's got her hat, yeah. And yes, RIP skeleton.**

**Otakugirl 13: Hooray and indeed they are! Twisty and difficult yes, for Finn especially. Don't you just wish you could jump into Ooo and run around befriending everyone you like, killing off the ones you don't, and bringing your new friends back to the real world? Ah, to dream! :3 NOT OF LOVE stupid song stuck in my head and I don't want it there...I'd rather have Finn's buff baby song floating around my mind XD or the fry song, or anything from What Was Missing, or anything by Marcie...oh was that all out loud?**

**Lamimia: Aww, thanks! :)**

**Zanegar: Haha careful what'cha wish for! Sequel... ;)**

**BladeGuy9: Thanks! You'll find out soon enough...**

**InK-on-her-fingers: Thanks! Naw, you worded it about right...bittersweet's pretty close.**

**Shadown478: Hm...let's just let our imaginary armies battle it out in some random dimension (and inevitably call it a draw because neither of us will back down), shall we? XD 'Cause I suck at chess! Thank you!**

**Voice of Hunger: :)**

**DH88: Yeah, Finn's...very forgetful about his shirt XD**

**furrylover-to-da-max: First of all, thank you for the amazing review! You're very welcome for the story; it's honestly the best thing I've written so far (in my own opinion, because everything else I've done is pretty much pure fluff). The pacing's really fun for me because I get to keep everyone waiting for them to admit their feelings, and nobody knows when that's actually going to happen. I honestly don't think "love" should be tossed around casually, but it's so hard to find a good fic now that I'm usually just like "Whatevs," because pacing is impossible to get perfect, and I really shouldn't judge. I'm touched that you're reading my fic so carefully! And whenever I hear I kept people in character, it just gives me the warm fuzzies. I'm glad that you liked it so much! I'd have more commentary, but I think my whole rant about pacing pretty much stretched out my commentary limit, so...thanks again for the review!**

**Doctor Deadpool: Thank you. I try to stay focused on the main objective, but it's a little tricky with a story like this; I don't want it ending TOO soon.**

**The Forgotten Hero: Thanks. Yeah, I got a bit tired of having to write about the snake so...I cut it short. I honestly am not a big supporter of Finn spouting F-bombs either (woohoo, I'm an official hypocrite! XD) but I figured that hey, the kid's fourteen, he just found out that a demon kidnapped his pals in some complex pit to lure him, the last human, to his ultimate demise, and his poor hero heart's probably pounding from all this knowledge and his dream, so why not? And...I just rambled out a rather unnecessary explanation. Super. And my army WILL return...because they will WIN! Sorry, but I'm very adamant about this point.**

**Disclaimer: My ownership status? Yeah, hasn't changed. Shocker.**

* * *

_**Chapter 10: The Ocean**_

* * *

When Finn awoke at dawn, the fire had gone out completely. He sat up and stretched, eager to be on his way. The sooner he was on the ocean, the sooner he could leave it. That was his logic.

"Marcie," he crawled around to the vampire and shook her shoulder. She was floating on her back, her hat over her face. "Get up! Come on, I wanna go!" she "sat" up, and their heads klunked together.

"Ouch!" the vampire exclaimed.

"You're tellin' me," Finn muttered, clutching his forehead.

"You sayin' I've got a thick skull?"

"No!" he quickly exclaimed, shaking his head for emphasis. Marceline crossed her arms. "Okay, you _can_ be hardheaded sometimes..." he grinned cheekily, and she punched him in the gut. "Oof!" he clutched his sore stomach. Marceline winced.

"Whoops, sorry, forgot about your bruises," she said, standing and hauling the hero to his feet.

"Right," he said disbelievingly.

"I guess you'll never know the truth," she replied in a mysterious manner, cackling and walking down the beach. Finn chased after her, grinning. That is, until she turned, grabbed his shoulders, and flung him onto the sand where the waves could lap at him. Finn screamed and scrambled back, trembling. Marceline hovered beside him in a lying down position, her chin in her hands.

"N-not c-c-cool, M-Marcie!" Finn stammered. She frowned.

"I had no clue you were _this_ scared...this is bad. Finn, we are going to be surrounded by ocean. For days."

"D-don't try to scare me!" he was still recovering.

"I'm not _trying_!" she replied defensively. "I'm just making sure you know what you're getting into here. I can go on alone; you _don't_ have to do this," she lowered her arms so one folded across the other, as though her weight was resting on them. Finn rose from where he had been in a crablike position to sit, hugging his knees to his chest.

Marceline was offering him a way out.

He didn't have to face his fear. He didn't have to go into the ocean. He didn't even have to face the Prince of Games! All he had to do was wait on the beach.

But...

He couldn't.

It wasn't right.

"I can't, Marceline. I need to be the one to face the demon that killed my parents," he said softly. "But thanks anyway."

"Hey, what're friends for?" she smiled at him, but it was a sad and knowing smile, like his words had sealed his fate. Finn shrugged it off and let the vampire haul him to his feet. They walked to where they had left the rowboat, and Finn was surprised to find it fully repaired, both oars in place. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to put myself to good use," Marceline said in response to his obvious confusion. Finn nodded in understanding and briefly wondered why he hadn't heard her leave the fireside before realizing that duh, she could float. "Moment of truth here," Marceline shoved the boat into the water and let it bob out to sea.

It didn't sink.

The pair broke into matching grins, watching their craft as it bobbed up and down in the waves. Finn's face, however, filled with fear as the vampire picked him up like she had in the caves and began to fly.

"Oh hush," she said in response to his muted whimpering. When they landed in the tiny boat, Finn immediately sat right in the middle. Marceline squeezed in beside him on the single bench and scooted him over to the starboard side. Finn clutched the edge of the boat desperately. As water splashed on him, he screamed. Marceline slapped him.

"What was that for?"

"Dude! Get ahold of yourself. It's just water. It's like a giant bath, but with more salt and fish," Marceline said calmly.

"Oh. Hm...I...never thought of it that way," Finn peeked over the edge of the boat again in time to receive a splash in the face as the dinghy crashed into a tiny trough. Finn jumped into Marceline's arms. She tossed him overboard. "MARCELINE!"

"Finn, I'm not letting you back in this boat until you stop screaming," she swatted his hands away from the side of the boat.

"THIS...ISN'T...FUNNY!" Finn screamed, straining to keep his head above water.

"Look man, just calm down and I'll pull you back up," she said.

It would have been logical if Finn hadn't been so terrified.

He began to thrash wildly, slamming his head against the boat in panic. Feeling faint, the hero began to sink into the endless depths of the ocean. As his eyes closed, he registered the warped underwater sound of a splash and a dark figure making its way towards him. Then...nothing.

* * *

Finn awoke in the dinghy, groaning and rubbing his head. He had been tucked into the bottom of the boat so his stomach was underneath the bench. Marceline looked down at him in concern, her feet pressing lightly into his sides. As he sat up and pulled himself from beneath the bench, the vampire leaned forward and caught him.

"Easy there. You nearly drowned."

"The ocean tried to kill me!" he exclaimed, struggling. "Marceline! Take me back to the Sands of Forever!"

"No can do, hero. We're too far out."

"Too far out? As in...away from shore?" Finn started to scream. Marceline slapped him across the face.

"Hey!" she scolded. "Snap out of it! We didn't come all this way for you to give up now. You're not a quitter, Finn."

"If going back makes me a quitter, so be it," she grabbed his jaw in one hand, holding his face still and close to hers.

"No. _You don't quit_. A _quitter_ would have gone home after almost getting killed by a mermaid. A _quitter_ would have left me for dead in the Forest of Helplessness. A _quitter_ would have abandoned me in the Desert of Lost Souls. A _quitter_ would have turned around in the face of the Caverns of Endless Darkness. A _quitter_," he tried to turn away, but she forced him to meet her eyes, "wouldn't be here now," she released his jaw, and he leaned back against the front of the boat. Marceline began to row again. "You were out for hours," she said without looking at him. "After I brought you back up, I thought you'd wake up, but you didn't," she snuck a quick glance at him, but he caught her eyes in his and held her fast. "I'm sorry," the words sounded thick and unfamiliar.

"For what?" Finn asked, surprised.

"Trying to help. Every time I...I only screw things up," she sighed. Finn had never seen her so depressed, and wished she hadn't forgotten her ax bass at home. Maybe music could have cheered her up.

"It's my fault," he replied, even though he knew it was really nobody's. "I was too afraid to listen to you."

"But I should have known—"

"Marceline! It's not your fault," he insisted. She fell silent, and the only sound was lapping that set Finn's teeth on edge. The waves...

"Finn? You okay?"

"I'm f-fine," he silently cursed the fearful stutter in his voice.

"No you're not. You're still scared," Marceline replied. Finn knew she was right, and knew that he had to get over it.

"Marceline...I need you to help me get over my fear."

"That's not exactly my area of expertise."

"Try," he begged. She sighed.

"You'll never be entirely over it, but I think I can help you cope…at least a little bit," the vampire told him. Finn nodded. "Have you already tried getting over it?"

"Yeah. I knocked myself out to sink to the bottom."

"Being forceful about it won't work," Marceline chuckled. "I've found that it's best to associate your fear with the memory of something pleasant; a game, a cherished item, something beautiful...a kiss," she blushed a little.

"I thought vampires didn't feel fear," Finn was slightly amused.

"I've helped lots of people," she answered carelessly. "Now first, we have to get you back in the water."

"_NO_!"

"Don't worry; it'll be fun!" Marceline encouraged, picking him up and floating out of the boat. She lowered them both until the spray barely touched Finn. He screamed. "Hush, you weenie," Marceline dropped him into the water. He fought for breath, and she floated beside him.

"You're not even in it!" he protested furiously. She rolled her eyes and dropped until she was treading water.

"Happy?"

"No! GET ME THE MATH OUTTA HERE!"

"Finn," Marceline grabbed his face in her hands, and he stopped fighting. "It's not hurting you. It's just a big salty bath."

"Big salty bath...big salty bath...big salty—MARCELINE I CAN'T DO THIS!" Finn struggled to get to the boat, but Marceline wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. He froze, long enough for her to turn him around and give him a kiss on the cheek. Finn's face turned bright red. Marceline pulled back and grinned, her cheeks a very light shade of pink.

"Better?" she asked. Finn's unconscious trembling had stopped.

"Um...a little..." he admitted. "Now GET ME OUTTA HERE!" he grabbed Marceline's shoulders and shook her viciously.

"Wow you're really scared. What do I have to do, strip?" Finn's face burned hotter. "I'm kidding, you weenie...mostly. Ugh, I hate having wet clothes. Let's go," she carried him back to the boat, and Finn found that he wasn't quite so scared. He just had to keep remembering that feeling...

"Hey Marcie?"

"Mm?"

"Did you ever do something like this with...?" he trailed off. "Never mind; that's probably too sensitive."

"Aw, now I'm curious," she pouted as she shifted around uncomfortably. Finn would have smiled at her squirming had his thoughts not been on a rather unpleasant subject.

"...Ash?" Finn closed his eyes and prepared for a punch. When it didn't come, he opened his eyes to find a rather somber vampire sitting beside him.

"Yeah. Lotsa times," was her simple and quiet answer.

And Finn didn't ask again.


	11. The Past

**Hey guys! Whew, what's it been? A week? But I'm back! With my least favorite chapter! Yeah! :( I had to make Marceline a little OOC, but...well, think about what the thing's reminding her of. And what the heck, aren't we all a little OOC sometimes? Just makes life that much more interesting, right?**

**Anyhow, have I got a story to tell! You don't have to sit through this XD I just feel like telling you about me being "accused "of terrorism'n such. It'll be in Italics, so you know how far to skip. 'Cause I'm nice that way :)**

_**I woke up at 3:00 AM the day I were going to catch my flight, but I was SUPPOSED to wake up at 4:30 and I couldn't go back to sleep. Then, 6:00 AM at the airport, something in my pockets sets off some alarm. Great. So this lady pats me down and runs some test on my hands, looking for explosives or whatevs. That's part one; how I was "accused" of terrorism. What a tale! XD**_

_**Here's part two: the creepy part. I switch planes and land in Hartford, rent a car, and start on our way to Monson. Well then my uncle texts my mom that he's in the ER with my gramma. She was fine, don't worry, but it was pretty scary...'specially 'cause I'd been feeling like sumthin' bad was gonna happen since I got on that first plane. Crazy, right?**_

_**Then I had a pleasant stay...until my airplane fiasco. You see, everything had need going smoothly until it was time for the home stretch; my flight got freakin' CANCELLED! So there I was, rounding hour four of texting one of my friends (about roasted human faces=cannibal potato chips, stabbing as unicorns, upcoming school, etc.) and questing for a damn outlet (AIRPORTS SUCK!). Then I FINALLY manage to steal an outlet from an old man and sit on the floor, texting away! Yup. Back to my travels. So I caught the last seat on one going to a city somewhat close to my home, and it turned out the overbooked! Luckily, I still got to get on the flippin' plane. And it was night, and it was storming, and...yeah. Even more luckily, my baggage transferred over with my flight! Woohoo! Some family picked me up at the airport, and I got home at 2 AM.**_

_**Oh yeah and my betta fish that I totally led unattended for like a whole week? He's fine. :)**_

_**Then I had the concert. See, the friend I originally invited had to bail 'cause she didn't want to ask her dad (apparently he's scary or sumthin' like that) for permission, and my second choice didn't friggin' text me back! So here I am, morning of concert, scrambling to find someone to fill this (rather expensive) empty space. Then, as I'm getting ready to leave, my friend calls me (when I didn't have my Bluetooth in...go figure...audio on my phone SUCKS) and says "I can go!" so I pick her up and we go on our merry way to the, ahem, SOLD OUT Train/Andy Grammer concert. Which rocked...except they didn't play Parachute.**_

**So that was it, and when I got back, I checked my email, went O.O, and nearly fainted. You see, I hadn't checked it since posting that last chapter as I have been out of wifi. So...yeah. You guys rock! :D**

**Nick the vampirekiller: Aw, thanks! The newness has returned!**

**BladeGuy9: Thank you! I've always wanted to see Marceline helping Finn get over his fear of the ocean, but the show's writers refuse to scribble it out so...yeah. I honestly didn't see the end coming either!**

**Kosmic: I know! And why the hex would I tell you that? Hello, SPOILER! :p**

**Hejin57: I know! Thank you! :) I have plenty of personal experience with fears, believe me...I know better than to have a character get over something in a heartbeat. And why would he ask...? Hm...maybe a certain J-word comes to his unconscious mind... ;)**

**Furrylover-to-da-max: Oh my gosh! Is your laptop okay? XD I'm glad you were so happy! And I can't even see how people forget about Finn's fear...there was a whole episode on it! Even I know that! I try to get the pacing right, but it's tricky. I'm glad you liked it :)**

**DH88: Nah...if it was on TV, I'd have laughed too XD**

**Shadown478: Hm...how about...dogs vs cats? If you're a cat person, then we have ourselves a debate.**

**The Forgotten Hero: I was wondering if anyone would catch that! I guess she just found something that would work, maybe there was a shipwreck with nails in it farther up the beach or whatever. The boat is a plump little rowboat, with one bench. It was custom-made for one person, a detail that will come into play guess when? In the sequel! As for the parts where you couldn't tell if he was in/out of the boat, believe me, I have shaken people in the water before. You kick your feet to stay afloat, grab their shoulders to help keep yourself up, and shake. It's quite fun actually. And yes, that question comes back into the game...yah you know which three words come next...in the sequel :p I'm such a predictable person sometimes. So...yeah.**

**He23t: That means a lot :3**

**Voice of Hunger: Thanks! :D**

**Zanegar: Why no. No I did not know that...XD**

**Neverthrive: I wonder that, too. And yes, Ash does kill every mood, but it's a warning shot...**

**Shadowpool95: Aw, thanks!**

**ErroR: :D**

**STFUXDDDD: Thanks :3**

**Otakugirl 13: Yay you checked out the comic! :D I honestly think it's the coolest thing since the Internet was invented. Thank you! Wish I could chat longer, but I'm a little anxious to get this chapter out :)**

**Disclaimer: Doesn't the word "Disclaimer" imply that I'm disclaiming? Also, I totally own the Monster of Injustice. All mine.**

* * *

_**Chapter 11: The Past**_

* * *

Finn and Marceline had been rowing in turns, one sleeping and the other propelling the boat. She took days and he nights, keeping each of them each off their proper sleep schedules, as vampires were naturally nocturnal people. Marceline had, however, admitted that she had become rather accustomed to sleeping in the dark (and accidentally that she had always longed to sleep under the stars, but had never been able to), so Finn had insisted that he take the nights and let her sleep.

It was on the fifth night that Finn became alarmed.

He was toiling at the oars, watching the water (and admittedly giving the snoozing vampire a quick glance every once in a while, admiring her serene face—her hat was beside her, where she left it until he woke her when he saw the first rays of sunlight) when he saw it. Again. That row of mottled purple fins that briefly rose above the water before curving back down in a graceful arc. This was the tenth time during his turn that he had glanced back and spotted them. The human laid the oars to rest, reached down, and shook Marceline's shoulder gently.

"Pst, Marceline!" he hissed.

"Finn?" she mumbled, opening her eyes. "What...?"

"Sh," he put a finger to her lips. "I think something's following us," Marceline sat up and shoved his hand away from her face.

"Why?" was her question. He hauled her up so she was sitting in the bottom of the boat, peering over the edge.

"That," he pointed at the fins as they vanished. Marceline was awake immediately.

"How much you wanna bet this is the big tough guy of the ocean?" Finn cringed at the reminder that they were in the middle of the ocean and opened his mouth to agree, but at that moment, a huge mottled purple head reared up. It was a wolf face with a lion mane, a serpent body, and plated dragon scales. Its huge frog legs churned the water briefly until it floated there, its huge head before them. When its mouth hung open, Finn smelled fish on its breath. Water dripped into the boat, and it took all of the hero's willpower to stay steady instead of screaming like a baby.

_Greetings, Finn and Marceline,_ a strange voice growled in Finn's mind; thoughts that weren't his. _I am the Monster of Injustice. And I am here to show you the wrongs you have caused,_ Marceline grabbed Finn's hand and squeezed it tightly before everything swirled black.

* * *

Finn opened his eyes with a groan to see the inside of a house.

"Where are we?" he wondered aloud. Marceline beside him sat up and became stiff.

"No," she whispered.

_Yes, _growled the voice of the Monster.

"Where are we?" Finn repeated.

_This is Marceline's first wrongdoing; the first one I have chosen to present to her. And to you...human. _

"FOOLISH GIRL!" Hunson Abadeer stood in the doorway. The Marceline beside Finn cowered, as did the very young Marceline curled up on the couch. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU'VE KILLED YOUR OWN MOTHER!" he was uncharacteristically angry, but seemed to calm his wrathful fury as tears streaked the faces of both Marcelines. Finn turned to the one he knew.

"...Marceline?" he asked confusedly.

"...I..."

_You can't remember? Let's show him. _

"No!" she cried, but it was too late.

Now they were outside the house. Young Marceline was playing with Hambo on the grass when a dreadful snarling began in the woods. Young Marceline screamed, and a woman with tanned skin, dark brown hair, and beautiful green eyes burst from the house.

"Marceline! Get inside!" young Marceline didn't need to be told twice; she charged in and, in her panic, she let the door close behind her. A lock automatically clicked. The woman screamed as something shadowy lunged, and Finn had to turn from the gruesome scene. Marceline—the Marceline with him—was staring rigidly ahead, her hands balled into fists and tears streaming down her face.

_Let us continue,_ the scene changed, and Finn found himself staring at a small island, steadily approaching. He closed his eyes and, when they opened, he was in a bedroom.

"Where are we now?"

"In the Human Kingdom. Don't look for your ancestors, Finn...they're coming to you."

"Huh?" but Marceline didn't speak again. It had barely been five seconds before the door burst open. The Marceline from the past (this one looking _exactly_ like the Marceline beside Finn) was shoved inside, and she staggered in the air. A man entered after her and slammed the door. He greatly resembled Finn, except with stronger, more adult features and brown hair. The man grabbed the wrist of Past Marceline, and she pulled away. He struck her across the face.

"Hold still, girl!" and Finn could smell the alcohol on his breath. The man pinned Past Marceline to the bed.

"Why didn't you just turn into a demon or something?" Finn asked.

"I wasn't strong enough," she answered softly. "I hadn't eaten in weeks…" Finn watched as the man roughly kissed Past Marceline, ignoring her struggles. The hero felt rage ignite him as the man began to caress her face and stroke her sides; even if it was only a vision, Finn felt a desperate need to protect his friend from this...monster.

"Stay there," the man snarled, stepping back. Past Marceline looked relieved—that is, until the man stripped off his shirt. She tried to scream, but he pushed his hand over her mouth.

"You should have bitten him."

"Finn...I'm a vampire. I didn't want to bite him because I could have killed him."

"He deserved it," Finn replied coldly, stiffening as the man pulled back and began tearing at Past Marceline's clothes. They tore beneath his fingers, but thankfully remained somewhat intact to still cover her body in a decent manner. Only when the man had kissed her again did he pick her up, throw her higher onto the bed, and climb on top of her. She pushed him off, and they began to scuffle.

Past Marceline ended it by sinking her fangs into his throat.

Her eyes widened in ecstasy and she drank deeply, allowing her eyelids to flutter closed. Finn averted his own eyes as the man began to grow pallid and shrivel up.

He remembered what Marceline had said, about the only human she had ever eaten, and was ashamed to have the blood of this _beast_ in his veins.

When he dared to look again, the scene had changed to the Candy Kingdom. Marceline's face was hidden in her hands as she cried. Finn turned away from the scene before he could see into her tortured past again. He glared up at the sky.

"That's it! Monster of Injustice, _stop torturing Marceline_!"

_Dear boy, you may think you're pure, but there is one unjust act for which you can never be forgiven..._

The scene switched to a cave on a mountainside. A baby with a white bear hat was crawling away, crying and leaving his blue baby blanket behind. A dark figure cloaked in shadows approached the cave and picked up the baby blanket, but baby Finn was long gone.

_You lived. _

"NO!" Finn drew his sword. "I'm not listening to your lies any longer, and neither is Marceline!"

_Very well...but know that the sins of the past always return...and ignorance is not always bliss,_ as the voice faded, Finn found himself sitting in the boat again, his sword not in his hands. It was like everything had been a dream…but Marceline was lying on the floor, her hands pressed to her face as she sobbed. Finn pulled her onto the bench and let her lean against him, wrapping his arm around her waist. She flinched, and that just about broke his heart.

"Marcie...are you gonna be okay?" he asked softly. She just cried harder, and Finn put his other arm around her, turning so she was crying into his chest. He gently pulled her against him, hoping to comfort the vampire with his warmth. It seemed to work, because she stopped crying and pulled away after a few minutes. He resisted the urge to help her rub the tears from her cheeks, wincing at the viciousness with which she erased the evidence of her moment of weakness.

"I'll bet you probably think I've gone all soft'n stuff now...if you don't hate me..."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; I could _never_ hate you," he said firmly. "And I would _never_ think you'd gone soft," he was about to joke that she'd kill him, but decided against it. The vampire managed a shaky smile.

"Thanks, Finn. That means a lot, to hear you say that," she blushed a little.

"Why don't you get some more sleep?" Finn suggested. "I'm not tired," Marceline nodded and slid down onto the floor of the boat. Before her eyes closed, she looked up at him.

"Hey Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"I know _I'm_ not okay, but what about you?"

"I'm fine," he grinned to reassure her.

But as he rowed, only two words pounded in his head, setting the beat of his oars.

_You lived._


	12. Memories

**Thanks to Hejin57 for the "Ice King made a fanfic" idea! Yeah I included it in here ;)**

**OHMYGAWDOHMYGAWDOHMYGAWD MY MOM JUST GOT _SECOND ROW TICKETS_ TO KELLY CLARKSON AND THE FRAY! _SECOND ROW_! _IN THE FUCKING PIT_! OHMYGAWD! I'M FLIPPIN' OUT! :D :D :D :D :D**

**Nick the vampirekiller: Thanks, I'm happy it's back, too!**

**Hejin57: That's really very reassuring. I don't ever put effort into keeping people in character, I just trust my subconscious judgement; that's why I get so nervous about OOCness. Thanks, it took a little while for me to come up with a good ocean boss, so I'm glad he's a goodie. As always, your review has brightened my day exponentially :)**

**DH88: Nice pun! And yes, yes you should doubt.**

**Furrylover-to-da-max: Thanks sooo much for the amazing review! I tried making everything as realistic as possible, so I'm glad you liked it. The "you lived" part is definitely one of the more powerful moments in this fic; the weight of the words and all. Thanks again!**

**Kosmic: All will be unveiled when the sequel comes along, my friend. Oh and that's very profound, by the way.**

**Neverthrive: That's one reason why it was my least favorite chapter. I don't write "depressing" a lot. "Dramatic," sure. "Depressing," pft. I hated writing in the yelling part, but I had to stress how much Hunson loved his wife. I'm glad you liked the "you lived" bit: it comes into major play late in the sequel. So...remember that!**

**BladeGuy9: I know :( sadness is...well, sad. Fluff is fluffy, though. I'm stating the obvious. Because it's like 10:00 and that's my cutoff time for sanity. Anyhow, thanks and it's good to be back!**

**Shadown478: I honestly despise all football teams. It's a bunch of sweaty guys looking for an excuse to jump on each other, a confusing scoring system, and a bunch of obsessed fans. Big freakin' whoop. And nooooo I love our random debates! I seriously look forward to them every time I see you've left a review! **

**Zanegar: Thank you!**

**Distinctivelaugh: Thanks! ;)**

**Voice of Hunger: Haha! :D**

**Otakugirl13: I know...and it's always nice to hear that I was wrong about schtuff like that (people being OOC). What killed Marceline's mom? I think we all know when this will be revealed. I really need to stop referencing the sequel. Like I'm about to with the Candy Kingdom scene. The almost rape scene is one of the reasons I hated writing the chapter...sigh. It's good to be back, and no problem at all! :D**

**He23t: :D**

**ErroR: You'll find out...in the sequel...**

**Disclaimer: Finally, the disclaimer you probably haven't been waiting for! I own the Prince of Games, so don't kidnap it. I don't, however, own Adventure Time. **

* * *

_**Chapter 12: Memories**_

* * *

"Finn," Marceline was kicking him. "Finn, get up! We're here!" when Finn opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of a beautiful sunset and land—even more beautiful, as it brought the promise of actual food. He'd been living off of bloodless fish since they'd set out. Then he realized…

He had relinquished control of the oars to Marceline _at_ sunset, with no sign of land in sight.

"You rowed _all night and day_!" he shouted, worried for her health as he leaped up. The boat rocked, and Marceline didn't even try to steady it. Finn squealed as he nearly got dumped into the water. Nearly. The boat ran aground before it could tip. "I told you to wake me up!"

"I know...but...after...you know...I mean, I've been having nightmares anyway, and you were smiling," she gave him a sheepish glance from under her hat. Finn exhaled through his nose. Marceline had only been doing what she had thought was best, and she didn't seem strained. He couldn't remember his dreams clearly, but he remembered two different parts.

One involved only two words, the words that still haunted his every mood, hanging over his shoulder like an overly nosy person. The words were shadowing him, reminding him of the evil done because of his very existence. Those two words were suspended in his mind like twin dark clouds, intertwined as yin and yang. One contrasted yet completed the other in such a perfect way that it chilled Finn to the bone, making him shiver even when there was no breeze. They were the blackened lead stones heavy in his heart.

_You lived._

From the other, he could only remember soft whispers, a fanged grin, and wisps of black hair; Marceline had invaded his sleep, but she was a welcome intruder.

That must have been when she'd seen him smiling...when he was dreaming of her. He couldn't for the life of him remember what in Ooo had been going on, though. Gentle touches to his face and a cool caress around his neck...he blushed a little. He remembered the gentle feeling of lips on his, roughened by fangs that scraped at his mouth in a way that had felt amazing. Why the heck had he had a dream about kissing _Marceline_? He didn't like her that way! Was it so wrong, though, to wonder what it would feel like if he were to kiss her now?

_Yes, it is. She's my friend, and we're on a quest to rescue Jake and Bubblegum. I don't like her like that, I don't want to kiss her, and I certainly don't want to have these stupid thoughts distracting me! What was the point of that stupid dream, anyhow? To make me reconsider my feelings for her? 'Cause I won't. I don't like Marceline! I mean I like her, duh, but not...like that. So...why did I have the dream? Was it because I've been wanting to be kissed since Ice King made me listen to his stupid fanfic...what was it called...Burning Low or something? Whatevs. Anyhow, I bet that's it! Yeah! I mean, I don't like Flame Princess anymore and I don't like PB anymore, so I guess my subconscious's just lookin' for a lady. Marcie's just the only girl around._

"Finn?" Marceline's voice brought him back. "Um...you zoned again."

"What!"

"I'm still waiting for an apology...?"

"Okay. Sorry I jumped at your throat," he apologized and she smirked.

"You have no idea how true that expression gets," he was perplexed until she tapped her bite marks. They laughed.

"Okay, last leg. Let's get moving and meet the guy who's been pulling our strings," Finn jumped out of the boat and began to walk into the rubble.

"Hang on a sec," Marceline floated after him and unwrapped his bandages. His bruises had thankfully healed, but his shoulder was stubbornly burning. She rewrapped it and pulled off his pack to fish in it for his shirt, which he put on gratefully. After putting on his pack again, the hero glanced up to take in the view.

To say was awed was an understatement.

The sky over the ruins was a fiery inferno. Fireballs fell to the ground continually. Toppled buildings of stone littered the horizon. But there was one thing Finn needed to do before he could face the Prince of Games.

"Marceline, where is the human village?"

* * *

They landed in the withered brown grass beside a cluster of about three dozen overgrown huts. Some of them were made of stone and some of wood, but all were either dilapidated or overgrown. Finn could tell what they had been; signs and metal numbers hung over doors. As he examined the buildings more thoroughly, the human was thrown into memory.

* * *

_Finn's father carried him around the village, pointing out landmarks._

_"There's the butcher shop...the cobbler...the carpenter...and here's the village fountain," he set baby Finn on the edge of the beautifully crafted bronze fountain, shaped like intertwined lovers. Water poured from the pedestal at their feet. "This is where your mother and I first met."_

* * *

Finn ran through the city, brushing buildings with his hands.

"The butcher...the cobbler...the carpenter..." he reached the fountain, covered in ivy. Finn reached up and began to tug it down.

"Finn..."

"Help me," he turned to her with pleading eyes. "Please, Marcie. Help me. This is where my parents met," she sighed and floated into the air, ripping at the ivy he couldn't reach. Together, they freed the fountain of its leafy burden. Finn stared at the statue in wonder; two humans, standing naked together, arms around each other (he wasn't blushing because their embrace was too tight to allow anything that would embarrass him to show, and because they were sideways) and lips interlocked. The hair of the woman looked so real…

"It's beautiful," Marceline breathed. The statue was gleaming in the moonlight, and although there was no water, it was still gorgeous. The pair sat on the edge, side by side. "Finn...why did you want to come _here_? To the fountain? Why unveil it?" Marceline asked.

"I want to learn about my past, and this place is the only link I have," Finn replied honestly. Marceline looked at him carefully before resting her head on his shoulder. There were a few long moments of silence. Then…

"There is...one other," she said softly. He looked at her in surprise. She stood—well, floated—and held out a hand. Finn took it without a second thought. "I know where you used to live. Human homes in this village were passed through the family and..." her lip trembled. Finn understood; the room Finn's parents had shared was the same one Marceline had almost been raped in. The room Finn had likely been conceived in was the site of one of his best friend's worst memories.

He was sickened.

They landed before a hut with two floors. Finn tore the ivy from the door and, with shaking hands, entered the house.

* * *

_Finn sat in his mother's lap and looked around at his world with wide eyes. His father was sitting at the other end of the floor. They were playing a game; Finn had to crawl back and forth between his parents as fast as he could. They tried to set him up on two legs, but he fell over. Finally, his mother holding his arms, he took two steps. She let go and he took another two before falling and beginning to cry. She scooped him up and kissed his forehead, smiling brightly. Finn's tears faded into memory._

* * *

"This...this is where I took my first steps!" Finn exclaimed, running upstairs. He entered a room with a wooden cradle and was immediately thrown into another memory, this one making him smile widely.

* * *

_Finn was drifting off to sleep as his mother sang to him, rocking him gently in her arms._

"Rockabye baby, in the treetop

"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

"When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,

"And down will come baby..."_ she laid him in his resting place._

* * *

_"Cradle and all,_" Finn sang softly.

"Excuse me?" Marceline asked in shock. He blushed lightly.

"It's the end of a lullaby that my mom used to sing to me."

"My mom sang it to me, too," she smiled with the warm memories, and tears filled her eyes. They were swiftly shaken away, though. She cleared her throat. "We should probably get going. We don't know how much time Jake and Bonnie have left," her voice was rough now, as though she was afraid to show that she had been emotional. Finn wanted to say that she needed to be a little more open with herself and not keep everything bottled up inside or she might explode, but ended up simply nodding, and they left.

* * *

The two adventurers were walking into the city when Marceline grabbed Finn by the shirt, dragged him into an alley, and pinned him against the wall. Finn's breath stopped as the vampire's body pressed against his. He could feel her every breath, her every movement. Heck, he could feel her _heartbeat_! He didn't know if she needed one or not, but it was certainly there. And her face was less than an inch away from him, one hand on the wall to the right side of his chest and one right in the middle of it, keeping him still. They met each other's eyes, and Marceline blushed. He could feel the heat from her face.

"We should be clear," she whispered, pulling away from Finn.

"Clear from—?" he began to ask, but Marceline's hand clamped over his mouth faster than any snake. He pried it off. "Clear from what?" he repeated softly.

"Ghost skeletons. The Prince's army," was her reply. She looked at Finn carefully. "_Human_ ghost skeletons," Finn swore under his breath, surprised at his own words. He wasn't big on swearing, but keeping human souls enslaved as an evil army...? That crossed a line with him.

"That _bastard_."

"Finn..." Marceline laid a gentle and soothing hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged her comfort away. They crept out of the alley, only to dodge back in avoiding a fireball. Well Finn dodged in, tackling a transfixed Marceline to the ground. After a moment, he rolled off of her and lay on the ground. She scrambled to her feet and hauled him up. They walked out and took in the city again.

Collapsed buildings lay everywhere. Twisted heaps of metal and rubber littered the streets. Stray bricks were scattered all around. Skeletal ghosts floated aimlessly about, and fire burned everywhere Finn looked.

"Finn, you don't have to do this," Marceline was watching him. She could tell how it pained him to see the ruins of his ancestors, the way the demon had taken over.

"Yes. I do," he insisted. "Marcie...I have to. But I can't ask you to—"

"Uh-uh," she shook her head. "We've been through this before; where you go, I go. That's how this quest works, okay, Finn? Never mind, even if it's not okay, that's how it works," she took back her words.

"Marceline..."

"And don't even try to convince me otherwise, because—" he hugged her.

"Thanks."

Unsurprisingly, she stiffened.

Surprisingly, she returned the hug for a moment before pulling away.

"Now let's go get that stupid Prince," she said with a smile.

* * *

"He should be right in here," Marceline whispered, gesturing to a half-collapsed stadium. The pair had somehow made it through the city unscathed. Finn nodded and hesitated before pushing the doors open.

"Marceline...we've come a long way together. You're my family now. We've been through forests, deserts, caves, and oceans. We've helped each other; both with water problems, weirdly enough. But this is the part of our journey that cannot be prepared for by anything. There's too much that I need to say, Marceline. I can't tell you in words...I wish..." he sighed. "What I'm trying to get to is, this is going to be dangerous."

She gave him her best "you're an idiot" look.

"I mean more dangerous than anything we've ever done. This guy wiped out an entire race, and...I...I don't want you to...what I'm trying to say is, I understand if you don't want to continue," Marceline smiled sadly at him.

"When are you going to get it into your head, hero? We're in this _together_. Now let's go cream this guy and be back home in time for breakfast," indeed it was still night—the middle of the night. Finn smiled gratefully at Marceline and pushed open the door. They walked into the abandoned stadium to see a translucent bubble made of shadow energy suspended high in the air, holding Jake and Bubblegum captive. And in the middle of the arena floor, sitting on a throne built of rubble, was a shadow. The shadow was vaguely man-shaped, with hooves and spiraled horns. Red eyes gleamed from the darkness, and white fangs were visible. Breaths moved the shadow up and down as it leaned back, wisps of black drifting around its house-sized body. Nothing like the human could have _ever_ imagined.

Finn and Marceline walked into the arena.

"Who dares enter the lair of the Prince of Games?" a demonic snarl rumbled through every fiber of Finn's being.

"Oh great, another third-person speaker," Marceline muttered sarcastically.

"You both get one wish—collectively. Congratulations on making it this—" the demon's sniffing could be heard, and there was a long pause. "Where is he? Where is the human?"

"Right here!" Finn stepped forward. The red eyes widened, and the fangs bared in a grin.

"Yes, come closer for your wish..._my son._"

* * *

**STAR WARS MOMENT! Sorry. I was doing so good with the "no bottom A/Ns" thing, too! And yes,_ Finn's still human_! All will be explained in next chapter's A/N, so stay tuned!**

**Now honestly, did **_**anybody**_** see that plot twist coming? I hope not, 'cause I didn't even see it coming when I wrote it, and I'm the author! I was just typing away and then "my son" came out and I was all like "WHAAAAT?" but I let the story keep rolling, and it just kept adding drama! Especially in the sequel! I mean, there were admittedly NO CLUES at all, so you were probably like "WTF!" when you read it. Were you? _Were you?_**


	13. Content

**WOOHOO! LAST CHAPTER! Of course half of it's a buncha flashbacks from earlier in the story but…they're IMPORTANT! _SO IS THE BOTTOM NOTE!_**

**_THE BOTTOM NOTE IS IMPORTANT!_**

**Anyhow, I just want to express how happy I am that you could all make this journey with me, and I want to say...aw pft, what'm I goin' on about? It's been one hell of a ride, and you've stayed with me through all the ups and downs. Thanks for all your wonderful support!**

**Kosmic: Hahaha! **

**Hejin57: Yeah...I trust you XD I knew you would like that line ;D and I'm glad you think it's a good thing. I, when I wrote this, did NOT think it was a good thing at all XD 'cause I didn't know what to write! Thank you (twice over XD)!**

**Guest: Yeah! XD**

**BladeGuy9: I didn't see it coming, either! **

**Furrylover-to-da-max: Yeah, being a Star Wars fan might help just a little :p and thank you! Yeah, this is actually the last chappie :( but (as I have repeatedly told random people) there will be a sequel! And I simply like delving into the unknown...AKA the pasts of our favorite couple. You're addicted? Goodness me! I'd order treatment but that would mean losing a reader! XD**

**Zanegar: I burst into giggles when I saw your review.**

**Tatgirl: Thanks! You weren't blown outta your chair? Well...that makes one of us ;D**

**Voice of Hunger: :)**

**ErroR: ;)**

**Shadown478: What do I find interesting? Paramore, concerts, reading, Paramore, writing, singing, Paramore, doodling puppy dogs, bats, Paramore, wolves, training dogs, dogs, and I almost forgot...Paramore. I have an obsession (NOT a stalker-style obsession :p a learn-all-songs obsession) with Paramore. I bought a song from a Twilight soundtrack 'cause it was by them. _Twilight! _Yucky. And is the Prince of Games to be vanquished? IS IT? O.O**

**Guest: Oh goodness! I'm glad you're okay XD and no, not in this particular story. Possibly in the sequel, but I'm not sure yet.**

**He23t: :D**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Adventure Time. I will still maim you if you steal the Prince of Games.**

_**Also, here's my promised explanation: Finn's not technically a half-demon. Human host, human DNA. The human host is always suspended deep within the demon's shadow, so his life feeds the Prince directly. It's a tad complicated, but it makes sense when ya think about it!**_

_**AGAIN, PLEASE READ THE BOTTOM NOTE! IT'S ABOUT THE DANG SEQUEL!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 13: Content**_

* * *

"I'm not your son!" Finn denied.

"Oh but you are," the demon purred. "Don't you recognize me, Finn? Don't you recognize your 'Daddy?'" the shadows collapsed into a familiar shape, hidden at their core. Blonde hair, blue eyes...the spitting image of Finn. It was John, the man from Finn's dreams. The human staggered, and only Marceline's hurried support held him up.

"You aren't my father!" he shouted, drawing his sword, "and you never will be!" but he was trembling.

"But wouldn't you like to know? How I promised this fool immortality? How I snuck into the Human Kingdom and took a wife and sired a child, simply to educate myself about their ways? About how I personally ensured the execution of every last human?" Finn's eyes burned with tears. "But you...you were uncontrollable. You moved yourself. I could have never imagined you surviving to this age! It's almost a shame that I have to kill you now."

"But I still get my one wish!" Finn shouted angrily, a single droplet of salty water streaming down his cheek. "And I wish to face you in combat!" the demon rumbled out a growl.

"Very well. I will maintain the form of my human host to make it 'fair.' What are the stakes?"

"I win, my friends and I all go free," Finn said immediately.

"And if I win, I get to eat you _and_ your friends. It's been so long since I've had human...candy and dog I've eaten often, but _vampire_! Never in my eternal life!" he..._it_ laughed. Finn stepped protectively in front of Marceline, making her blush a little, even in this moment.

"Over my dead body!" he cried, charging at his father. And the demon met him bearing a gleaming sword of deepest black with a line of white rippling all up and down its length, their blades clanging in the air.

"Would you like to know about my sword, Finn?" the demon snarled, leaning around the interlocked blades to leer at its son. Finn trembled and sidestepped, aiming a swipe at the staggering Prince's back, but it rolled and leapt to its feet. "_I trapped your mother's soul in it_!"

"_Shut_ _up_!" Finn's eyes burned with unshed tears as he slashed forward in blind fury. The demon dodged easily and struck Finn's head with the hilt of its blade. The hero reeled. The demon's blade rose high to decapitate him. Bubblegum and Jake pounded on the walls of their prison, screaming in silence.

"Finn!" Marceline shrieked. He rolled aside—barely. The hero staggered to his feet, already tired. He had just enough time to raise his sword and block a blow from his father. The demon pulled its blade back and swung it around, cutting into Finn's injured shoulder. He cried out and staggered back, fresh blood pouring down his arm. His father grinned and aimed a finishing blow; but Finn dodged again, panting. The quest was catching up with him. His arm burned with the effort of holding up his sword. The demon's blade dug into his right calf and he fell.

"Goodnight."

"Finn! Finn, _get up!"_ Marceline was screaming. She sounded...terrified. Not like herself. Why was she so afraid? Finn scrambled to the side and avoided a blow that would have scattered his brains. He weakly swung his sword from the ground with his right hand, but the demon jumped and avoided the pitiful blow. Finn slowly rose to his feet, his weight to his left side and his sword in his right hand. He took a swing, but the demon easily parried, yawning just to spite Finn. Rage ignited in the hero and he struck harder, only to have a cut inflicted on his stomach as the demon danced past him, moving towards Marceline. Finn immediately jumped in the way, holding his sword high to parry a swipe at his head and blocking low to avoid a thrust. The demon bared its teeth in a grin and twirled its sword, luring Finn forward to block strike after strike after strike. When the bout was over, Finn was panting hard. He tried to aim a decapitating blow, but the demon easily parried. Finn summoned all of his remaining strength and turned from his tiring mind to his hero instincts.

_Dodge, _and he moved to the side. _Strike, _and he twisted, landing a hit to his opponent's right forearm. The demon howled and slashed in blind fury. Finn's sword came up to parry, and the demon twisted the blades so they were both flung aside. It grabbed Finn's shoulders and he its. They staggered back and forth, Finn's teeth gritted in pure agony as his father dug its fingernails into his injured left shoulder. Finn gave a feral snarl and, with a feat of massive strength and willpower, hurled the Prince of Games to one side. It flipped and landed in a crouch, charging again. Finn fell to the ground and scrambled for his sword. The sound of footsteps behind him pounded like waves as he grabbed his blade and swung it around, slicing the demon across the face. It hissed and kicked him aside, snatching up its own blade.

"Foolish mistake, mortal!" the demon swung out and cut a deep slash into Finn's own cheek. He resisted the urge to cry out and climbed to his feet. "Why do you not give up? Allow your pathetic life to end!"

"No," Finn growled, interlocking their blades and stomping on the demon's toes. It hissed.

"Why?"

"Because. I have something to fight for," his eyes slid to the bubble where Jake and Bubblegum hung, then back to Marceline.

"Foolish!" the demon snarled again, striking his face. Finn staggered back, and the demon punched him in the eye. Finn couldn't move; he just stood there as, hit after hit, he was taken down to his knees. When the demon raised its sword, though, Finn found the strength to roll aside and painfully climb to his feet. The demon rained blow after blow upon him, and Finn blocked them all, stubbornly standing int that arena of death. But his arms were shaking and his legs were trembling. His mind had fizzled down and his instincts had worn out.

He was ready to surrender.

As he lowered his sword until its tip brushed the ground, he looked over his shoulder at Marceline. She stared at him pleadingly; not for herself, but for him. Then he realized; it had _always_ been Marceline.

* * *

_"That, Finn," she turned to him, and he could smell sweet strawberries on her breath; she must have been snacking on the shades of red from them, "is the Ruined Kingdom," her eyes sparkled with knowledge she wanted to share._

* * *

_Someone's lips were sealed tight against his. Finn's eyes flew open wide, and he saw Marceline's face, her eyes squeezed shut. Why was she kissing him? Then air filled his lungs and he understood. She wasn't _kissing_ him; she was saving him._

* * *

"_Happy?" said vampire grumbled, floating on her back._

"_Hey, you asked for it!" Finn replied with a lopsided grin. Marceline responded by dunking him underwater. He laughed as he surfaced, splashing her._

"_Hey!" she spluttered, floating on her back again and kicking splashes at him. Finn grabbed her leg and pulled her closer so he could push her under by her stomach. She surfaced with a cough and spat water at him. They laughed and swam back to shore, Marceline still a bit awkward in the water. _

* * *

_"Could you patch yourself up before we get close like this again?" Finn blushed and backed away so their faces weren't only inches apart. "I don't mind it, per se," she winked playfully, "but it's hard for me to control my vampire instincts around your delicious human blood."_

* * *

_"I guess you're right, hero," Marceline finally said softly. "We _are_ family," something indistinguishable flashed in her eyes, but it quickly vanished._

_"What, no hug?" he asked playfully. "Every mushy moment has a hug!" she flicked his forehead. _

_"Don't get your hopes up. Now let's get back to these wounds," she began wrapping again, and Finn smiled. _

_Because he knew he had family there for him._

* * *

_He tried to call out, but he was too tired, too thirsty...and without Marceline, his hope failed him. He staggered off of the road and fell to his hands and knees. The unfamiliar feeling of loss of hope for finding his friends overpowered the hero, and he collapsed to his hands and knees in the sand and lost his breakfast of apples the hard way. The sound was enough to alert Marceline, who was there in a moment, rubbing his back gently. When he had finally emptied his stomach, he started to tremble violently. Marceline helped him sit back, and loosely looped her arms around his neck from the side, her chin on his shoulder._

* * *

_She wriggled closer and wrapped her arms around him. She was...cold, at first, but her skin warmed on contact with his until she felt almost...human. As she drifted off, pressed firmly against Finn's side, he put his arm (the one that wasn't pinned beneath the vampire) around her, turning a little so they were facing each other. She unconsciously nuzzled her head into his chest just a bit more, and he couldn't help but smile as he drifted off._

* * *

_"Finn, you should know by now that the only stupid decision you can make at this point is sending me home. Well actually, you can make a lot more, but that's the only one I can think of at the moment. I'm tired. Now stop being all serious, you're worrying me! I mean I like you when you act all mature, but..." she seemed to realize that she was rambling. He felt the heat from her cheeks as she blushed. "I guess what I mean is, I'm with you, hero," she kissed his cheek lightly. "Now let's get some more sleep."_

* * *

_"So...I take it we're out of the 'normal friend' zone?"_

_"Oh yeah," Marceline appeared to be falling asleep. "We're in the 'super-close friend' zone now," she yawned and rolled over, cuddling up to Finn like she had before. He blushed and gingerly put an arm around her bare waist, rolling to face her. As she snuggled into his chest, the human hesitated before deciding to thank her for saving his life. And Jake had always said that actions speak louder than words..._

_So he gave the vampire a kiss on the top of her head._

* * *

_The two adventurers were walking into the city when Marceline grabbed Finn by the shirt, dragged him into an alley, and pinned him against the wall. Finn's breath stopped as the vampire's body pressed against his. He could feel her every breath, her movement. Heck, he could feel her _heartbeat_! He didn't know if she needed one or not, but it was certainly there. And her face was less than an inch away from him, one hand on the wall to the right side of his chest and one right in the middle of it, keeping him still. They met each other's eyes, and Marceline blushed. He could feel the heat from her face._

* * *

A bolt of strength coursing through his limbs, Finn charged forward with a mighty shout, paying no heed to his injuries. They were mere scratches in comparison to the fire in his heart.

His sword met the Prince's and slammed it back into its owner's skull. The demon staggered and raised its blade just in time to parry a powerful strike that rattled Finn's every bone. Strike after strike, he drove his father back, away from Marceline. He had to keep her safe from this _thing_. The human twirled his sword and jabbed into the demon's thigh, causing it to cry out and clutch the wound. The Prince of Games looked up and Finn's eyes, his blue, blue eyes, met his father's matching ones as they begged for mercy.

"Not this time," Finn snarled and, in the demon's brief moment of weakness, chopped off its head. The demon faded into shadow with its sword, and a burst of light enveloped the city. The ruins remained ruins, but the fire vanished. The ghosts dissipated. For the first time in so, so long, the sun began to rise on a new Ruined Kingdom.

Jake and Bubblegum, freed, tumbled to the ground. Jake stretched out and caught them both while Marceline floated to Finn and flung her arms around him, curled so her head fit into his chest and paying no heed to his blood, even though Finn knew she must have been going insane with longing deep inside herself. The human was in shock for a moment before he put his arms around her and held her tightly.

"I thought I'd lost you," Marceline whispered, and he realized that she was crying as she pulled away from his embrace. His arms fell to his sides.

"Hey," Finn reached forward, put a finger under her chin, and forced her to meet his eyes. "I'd never leave you," he promised softly. Her feet touched the ground, and she folded her arms stubbornly.

"You almost did," she replied, taking a step closer.

"But I didn't," Finn replied. "I never would. _I_ killed _it_."

"It's immortal, Finn. It'll be back. But for now...we're safe."

And with Marceline standing so close to him, her lips parted just ever so slightly, the hero had to do what his unconscious mind had been longing to do the whole quest.

His mind went blank, and his arms were around her waist again in a moment. Her expression turned puzzled.

"Finn, what are you...?"

Then he stretched up (why was she taller than him?) and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and smooth, cold like the rest of her, but they swiftly warmed under his gentle touch. Marceline was quick to return the kiss, her arms going around Finn's neck and her refreshingly cool hands sneaking up into his hat. He pulled her closer until their bodies were pressed together, each one perfectly completing the other. And that was before Marceline started bringing passion to the kiss. No, there was no tongue, no lust, no wandering hands, but there was something more important; emotion. Connection. A spark igniting a blaze of life.

They pulled away in unison, leaning their foreheads together and ignoring the hushed whispers of Jake and Bubblegum.

"That all you got, hero?" Marceline asked with a smirk.

He just laughed and pulled her back in. Who cared what Jake and Bubblegum thought? Who cared that this wasn't exactly the most romantic place for a first kiss? Who cared that they were far from home and had no easy way of getting back?

As long as he had Marceline, Finn would always be content.

* * *

_**Watch out for Unholy, the sequel to Rescue! Coming soon! Like in "about" a week! Seeya then! ;D**_

_**PS...what was everyone's favorite and least favorite chapter, and why? So I know what to put in the sequel, and what to avoid putting there! Of course I'll probably put what I want anyway...but I'm uber-curious :)**_


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